Unwritten
by Jecir
Summary: Rose stood the furthest back, aloof and alone, watching his body burn, the blue envelope crushed in her hands. The Doctor was dead. And this was only the beginning. AU The Impossible Astronaut and A Day on the Moon.
1. The Impossible Beginning

_Unwritten_

By: Jecir

Chapter 1: Impossible Beginnings

The Doctor was dead.

Amy saw it, but she could not believe it. _No_, her mind protested as she stared at the scene before her. _No, it can't be true._

He had just been here. Right there. Behind her, sitting on the blanket, talking rubbish like he always did about his adventures and looking, to the untrained eye, normal. But Amy had known better. She had always known better. From the moment she met him in the midst of the rubble that had once been her shed, she knew he was different. She would later come to know how different. More than a mad man in a box; a creature of so many secrets. And today, she knew, he had been keeping another.

But she had not complained. It had been so long since she last saw him that she did not care. She did not care that he seemed sadder than usual lounging on that car or that his interaction with River in the diner seemed forced or that he kept looking about as if waiting for someone. She had not questioned. She had not cared.

Rory, her dear, dear Rory, had noticed. He had questioned. "So, when are we going to 1969?" he had asked while looking skeptically into the glass of Napoleon Bonaparte's wine.

The Doctor's mask had slipped then to reveal a rare thing: vulnerability; he looked into his glass as if the answers were hidden within. Then, with a resigned sigh, he whispered, "When everyone gets here."

Such a strange thing to say. They were all there. Who could he have been waiting for?

A car pulled up over the hill, bringing the arrival of a strange old man in a wool cap. He waved at them. The Doctor stood and waved back.

"Doctor," Amy had finally spoken, her concerns rising. "Who's that?"

Then it happened. The horrible truth began in that moment. From the center of the lake rose the astronaut that would change their destinies forever.

"Whatever happens next, you must not interfere." The Doctor's request was their curse. He asked; they obeyed. It was what they did. It was what they always did.

He walked forward like a warrior facing his fate. And what a fate it would be. The astronaut raised its arm and fired.

And the world turned into a blur.

Flashes of light and shockwaves of energy ripped through the air, the land; through the Doctor's hearts.

Amy had struggled against River and Rory, screaming in denial. It could not be true!

Then the Doctor looked up, a deep sadness in his eyes. He looked at them, his friends. He looked at her, his Amelia Pond. And he said, "I'm sorry."

Then it was done. The final blow. It shook the earth and echoed through the sky; a resounding gong, declaring the end. The Doctor was dead.

He fell back, propelled by the force of the killing wave, into the arms of a stranger.

Time sped up then.

The stranger quickly laid the Doctor on the ground. She was speaking rapidly, taking command, but Amy could not hear her.

Another stranger—a man dressed in a military jacket—ran past them, ignoring the commanding woman, his eyes focused on the lake. The astronaut was slowly sinking back into the water. He threw off his coat as he gave chase, a look of pure fury in his dark eyes.

"No!" River cried, letting go of Amy. "Jack, don't!"

It was a plea that fell on deaf ears. Jack dove into the water and disappeared under the surface.

"You, nurse!" The woman's voice brooked no argument as she forced them to focus. "Come here!" Rory knelt down without resistance, not once questioning how she knew he was a nurse. "Place your hands here." She pointed to the right of the Doctor's chest, explaining, "The Doctor has two hearts. We'll need to coordinate movements to save him. Once I breathe, we push on three, understand?"

"Yes, uh, ma'am." Rory placed his hands over the Doctor's second heart.

Amy sunk to the ground. "He's dead," she sobbed.

The woman's head snapped up. Her cold brown eyes were sharp and focused as they narrowed on her. "Not yet, he's not." She turned back to her task. "There is a small window left. If we act know. Ready, nurse." Rory nodded. "Go!" She pressed her lips to the Doctor's and breathed. "Now. One. Two. Three."

Seconds ticked by in intense silence broken only by the woman's command of "One, two three!" Amy watched with baited breath. "Please, please, please!" she cried.

From the world unknown, Jack returned. River met him at the edge of the lake with his coat in hand. "It's gone," he heaved, answering her unspoken question. "Vanished."

River bowed her head. _Of course I did. _

"One. Two. Three!" the woman breathed again. "Come on." she grunted, pumping his heart. "Come on! Doctor!"

"He's dead!" River called from the bank.

"Not yet," the woman hissed.

"Rose." Jack walked up to them and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. The woman ignored him. It was not over. It could not be over.

"Rose!" he said again, his voice firm yet gentle. "Stop."

Rose sat back on her heals, exhaling a shaky breath. For a moment, she looked ready to cry. But the moment vanished behind a veil of cold steel. She drew her arm across her forehead. "Date and time," she commanded.

"April 22." Rory said.

"What _year_," she hissed.

"2011," River supplied. "5:05, April 22, 2011."

Rose took a deep breath and released it in a sigh. "5:05. Calculating CPR." She rolled her head back, thinking, calculating; then, she stood, dusted off her pants, and turned away. "Let it be known across the stars that at exactly 5:02pm Mountain Daylight Time, twelve hour standard, Earth on April 22 of the year 2011, Earth calendar, the Doctor died." She glanced over her shoulder. "Jack, we should—"

The rest of her words were drowned out by Amy's wail. The fiery ginger broke down as the truth sank in. She grasped the Doctor's shirt and wept bitterly, refusing to believe it. "No!" she sobbed.

Rory quickly pulled his wife into the protection of his arms and rocked her as she cried, whispering what comfort he could give.

Rose granted Amy the courtesy of grief. She turned her back and continued her private conference with Jack.

River watched them from the edges, waiting for what would happen next. Time was already moving forward. It was a cruel mistress that gave and took away without stopping to feel. So much like the Doctor.

The old man from before interrupted her thoughts. "Here," he said, placing something at her feet. "He said you'd need this."

It was a gas can. River looked at the Doctor's body, pain pulling her heart. _Oh, Doctor._

"You." Rose had noticed the new arrival. She covered the distance between them in short stride, Jack following behind. Her air pulsed with the aura of one used to being in command. And all around her fell easily into place. River stepped back next to Jack as Rose spoke. "You. Who are you."

The old man smiled as if the demands of this powerful woman were not new to him. "You will find out soon enough, Commander Tyler."

If Rose was caught by his knowing her name, she did not show it. "Why are you here."

"Same reason you are, I suspect." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a dark blue envelope. The light of the setting sun reflected off the 6 scrawled on the back. Again, Rose gave no reaction. As one, she, Jack, and River pulled out envelopes of their own. The old man's smile grew. "Always one step ahead of us, that Doctor." He shook his head in wonderment and then nodded to Rose in respect. "Ma'am."

"Wait, where are you going?" Jack asked.

"To my future, Captain," the man answered. "But I will see you in my past. River." He nodded to her. "Give my best to the Ponds." With that, he turned on his heal and returned to his truck, leaving the chosen few to mourn the Doctor.

"Strange," Rose whispered. "What was his purpose?"

"This." River picked up the gas can. "The Doctor wants us to burn his body."

"No!" Amy said. She and Rory had come to see who the stranger was and what he wanted. Amy's eyes, red-rimmed and raw, were stubbornly set. "We can't do that."

"We have to," River replied softly. "Even in death, a Time Lord's body is a miracle. Civilizations _will_ fight wars to get it if we do not obey."

"Look." Rory pointed down the shore. A row boat was breeched, as if waiting for this moment.

Jack and Rory pulled the abandoned craft to them and, together with River, laid the Doctor's body within. Rory stepped back to be with his wife as Jack and River prepared the pier. They worked in silence, none wanting or able to speak. They set the fire, pushed the boat into open water, and then stepped back to watch.

Amy tucked herself safely against Rory, who held her close, his chin on her head.

Jack stood next to River. "You knew my name." It was not a question.

"Yes."

"Have we met before?"

River allowed herself a glance at his face outlined in the night by the distant fires. "Spoilers," she whispered. Then she took his hand; he let her; and they grew quiet, bidding their farewell in their own way.

Rose stood the furthest back, aloof and alone, a statue in the night. She did not think, did not mourn, and did not try to make sense of the moment. She simply watched the reality before her.

The blue envelope was crinkled in her hand.

The Doctor was dead.

And this was only the beginning.


	2. The Impossible Girl

Author's Note: I am truly grateful for the response to the first chapter of _Unwritten_. I am glad you all enjoyed it. Here is chapter two. Reviews are love.

_Unwritten_

By Jecir

Chapter 2: The Impossible Girl

"1969?"

"Yes," Rory confirmed with a nod. "That's where he said we were going before…"

Before: the world utilized to describe the last few hours. No one wanted to say it out loud; no one questioned the election of that word for the solemn job it now carried. They wished to forget when before began; they would never forget how before ended. Now, a long, silent car ride later, they sat in the very place where before came to life.

"But why 1969?" Jack asked, continuing his inquiry born from a brief summary of all that had transpired before his and Rose's arrival.

"Don't know. He never said."

"That man," Rose spoke for the first time since entering the café. She sat at the bar, arms crossed, brow furrowed in thought. She looked up and directed her next question to Jack in a quick, almost dismissive tone. "What was his name?"

"Canton Delaware," Jack supplied.

"How—"

"It was on the envelope," Jack answered over his shoulder, interrupting Rory's question.

"He said, "I will see you in my past,"" Rose quoted.

"Another clue," River confirmed.

"Clue?" Rory asked. "To what?"

"The next step," Rose said, her mind already cast into the future.

"The Doctor wanted us to go to 1969," River explained. "And he brought Canton Delaware to make sure we did."

"Ok," Rory said slowly. "But how do we get there?"

"The Doctor's dead," Amy whispered.

"Jack?" Rose looked to her companion.

Jack shook his head. "The manipulator won't work. Not with this many people. And I do not trust its accuracy in multiple trips."

"Have you checked the reentry wire?" River asked.

"What?"

A mischievous grin pulled at her lips. "You need to check the wires."

"The Doctor is dead." Amy said again.

"What about the TARDIS?" Rory asked.

"Don't you get it!" Amy snapped. She stood up, her hands slamming into the table as she fixed pain filled eyes on the others. "The Doctor is dead!"

"Yes," Rose confirmed and then moved on. "But the TARDIS is still alive. If we can find her—"

"Why are we still talking!"Amy screamed. The small group went silent. As suddenly as it had flared, the fire died in ginger girl's eyes. She slumped back into the booth and gasped, "He's gone."

Rory sat down and took her hand. Fresh tears were lining her eyes as she looked up at him. She was so lost and confused and afraid. The world didn't make sense any more. Amy hated it when the world did not make sense. She pleaded with her husband to fix it. He held her close, wishing he could.

It was Rose who dared to speak into the silence. "Nothing is as it seems. Not with the Doctor. He left us clues. We need to follow them."

"Why?" Amy whispered.

"Because," River answered, sitting across from the mourning girl and gripping her arm comfortingly. "We are his friends. It is what he wants from us. A last request. 1969. It is why we're here."

Amy blinked back her tears and nodded. "What do we do?" she asked, the sparks of the old Amy catching light.

"We need to find the TARDIS," River said.

"Ok, again, how?" Rory reiterated.

"Rose." Jack called. "Look."

Rose pulled her eyes away from the plotting trio. She immediately saw what Jack had found. Four long strides brought her to the discovery. She picked it up, her face a mask of thought as she held it up.

"Rose?" Rory called as he and the others noticed the woman's actions.

Turning, Rose held it up for all to see.

It was a blue envelope. And not just any shade of blue, _TARDIS_ blue. The group joined her in the back of the café in moments, marveling at the newest mystery.

"One," Jack noted.

"Canton had six," River stated.

"Mine's five," Jack added, looking about the group.

"We were four," Rory said, motioning between himself and his wife. Amy pulled their envelope out for the others to see.

"Three," River said, holding hers up.

"Two," Rose said offhandedly, her eyes solely on the last envelope. "And one."

A toilet flushed behind them.

Then the door opened.

And the Doctor walked out. "Oh," he said, "Hello."

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

It was not in the Doctor's nature to be caught off guard; though, he did delight in acting. He was quite the actor, too. Often convinced whole armies that they had caught him by surprise. But it never happened in truth, never, not once.

Until now.

It would be much later before he came to understand how this particularly gathering of humans came to be, yet, like the creature he was, his eyes fell first upon the one impossibility.

"Rose Tyler?" he asked in a voice truly seeped in wonder.

Rose straightened her shoulders.

He stepped forward, not believing it. It could not be true. "Impossible. How—"

Pain burst upon his face as the world spun. He collapsed into the bar, his mind a vortex of confusion, pain, and indignation. He was able to right himself enough for a single moment to say the words he never thought he would say to _her_. "You slapped me."

Then, he slumped to the floor.

Rose, for her part, looked smugly self-satisfied as Amy and Rory pushed past her.

"Doctor!" Amy gasped. "Are you alright?"

"She slapped me," the Doctor said again, coming back to reality for the second time.

"Yes, Doctor," Rory confirmed as he began to check the Time Lord's pupils for dilation. "She most certainly slapped you."

"You're ok," Amy said desperately. "He is ok, right?"

Rory sat back on his heels. "Save for a bruised face and ego," Rory grinned at the necessary pock shot. "He's fine."

"Thank God!" Amy hugged him.

"Fine!" the Doctor protested. "I'm not fine! Rose Tyler slapped me! And why are you being all clinging? Not that I mind, but now is not the time!"

"Doctor."

"Oh great!" the Doctor lamented over dramatically. "River Song. Add insult to injury. Go ahead."

River raised an eyebrow. "Have we done Jim the Fish?"

"What?"

"Jim. The. Fish." River repeated in slow tones as if speaking to a child.

"Jim the Fish?" the Doctor grumbled. Gently disentangling himself from the strangely emotional Amy, he hauled himself up. "Who is that? And what does it matter?" He plowed on before River could answer. "Stop changing the subject! We are trying to figure out why! Why!" He stepped around River to face the burning brown eyes locked coldly upon his face. "You, Rose Tyler, slapped me!"

"I did." She said without argument.

"I haven't seen you in years, and you slap me." He stopped right in front of her, arms folded, matching her gaze for gaze. She titled her head back a bit in defiance. The tension in the air thickened as he narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. "Is that any way to say hello?"

For a moment, just a moment, he thought he saw something familiar—a spark of warmth hidden in the hardened brown orbs of this soldier who should not be. His impossible Rose Tyler. What had happened to her? The moment passed. She exhaled slowly, the simmer of anger leaving the air, replacing it with cold nothingness that made the Doctor wish for the return of the hot anger of her slap. At least then he knew she was real. Her eyes remained narrow; the gates of her soul latched shut; and a cool smile crossed her face as she said, "Hello."

That one word froze his hearts.

She glided past him in perfected military form and disappeared through the door from which he had come.

The Doctor stared into the empty space she had occupied, shaken; he was grateful for the mild protection of his back to those who did not understand, leaving only one to see the struggle on his face. He looked up at the other impossible human; another once familiar face that time and his meddling had destroyed. Jack looked older; he _felt_ older. "Jack."

"Doctor." The once commander of Torchwood nodded, conveying a small sense of understanding and sympathy.

The Doctor reigned in his fears and feelings. There were many mysteries to face today. He needed to get started. He turned, his mask in place, and asked the inevitable question, "What are you all doing here?"

It was Rory the Roman who answered. "We'll explain in the TARDIS."

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

The door slammed closed behind her.

_Breathe. _She inhaled, filling her chest to its expanse. _Just breathe._ She exhaled slowly.

She had seen him. It was done. Now to the future.

Rose ignored the flutter of her heart as she looked up at the TARDIS. Had she been the naïve little girl she had been the first time she had looked upon the TARDIS once upon a time, she would have indulged in the urge to stroke the beautiful blue box. Instead, she fished out her key—a keep sake, a reminder, nothing more—and inserted it into the lock.

She stiffened as the lock unlatched and a familiar sensation washed over her mind; like a lover's embrace after a long separation. She refused to acknowledge the whispered _Welcome home_ that brushed her mind. This was not her home. Not anymore.

The door opened behind her.

She glanced over her shoulder at the small band of time travelers and the maniac they trusted. "Well, come on, then. We have work to do."


	3. The Impossible Gathering

_Unwritten_

By: Jecir

Chapter Three: The Impossible Gathering

"There," the Doctor said as he pulled the lever that would send them into the Vortex. "We're in the TARDIS. Now," He clapped his hands and turned to the impossible gathering. "Explain. What are you—" He looked pointedly at Rose for a moment. Her sharp brown eyes were still cold but the defensive air was greatly lessened. Maybe it was the lack of close proximity; maybe it was the TARDIS; whichever, she was slightly—emphasize _slightly_—less hostile at the moment. The Doctor was grateful for this. Angry Rose Tyler was never a good thing, but cold and distant Rose Tyler was worse. Much worse. He broke her gaze and continued. "What are _all_ of you doing here?"

The Ponds exchanged a rather curious look with River. The elusive prisoner hesitated—something she never did—and glanced at Jack. The time-stopped Captain nodded to her. River squared her shoulders and stepped up to the task of explanation. "We were recruited, same as you," she said as if that should be enough.

"Recruited?" the Doctor asked with a pensive frown. "By who? And why for that matter."

"By someone who trusts you more than anyone else in the universe."

The Doctor's frown deepened. "And who would that be?"

River shrugged. "Spoilers."

"Yes," the Doctor drawled with a touch of contempt. He hated that word. "But why?"

"We don't know," River admitted. "All we have are these envelopes and three clues."

"Clues?"

"Space," Rory said in a valiant effort to pull the Doctor's probing attention away from the faltering Dr. Song; another strange thing, the Doctor noted in what was becoming an increasingly long mental list. River Song never faltered, but today, at this moment in time, she was off her game, whatever game it was.

"Space!" the Doctor repeated in mock joviality. Space made everything easier.

"And 1969," Rory added flatly, having caught, noted, and assimilated the Doctor's displeasure and showed the proper amount of humility to stave off any more mocking.

"And a man named Canton Delaware," River finished, saving the young man from further interrogation. Faltering or not, River could take the Doctor's questions without endangering whatever secret they were keeping; Rory and his dear Amy were not so skilled. The Doctor would make sure _that_ never changed.

"Yes," the Doctor said again, frustrated in his musing as he began to pace about the TARDIS. "But _why_? What is so important about those three things to risk….you?" He pointed to Rose.

Rose Tyler, an eternal mystery, the human who defied impossible. No one should tempt fate like that. Never. Not once. But she had. More than once. Several times, in fact. And here she was, doing it all again. It made the Doctor angry. He did not know how to cope with being angry. It was new to him; surfaced solely in this life; and what was worse, he knew not how to be angry with Rose Tyler. But he was. And he would face it head on. Closing the gap between them, he leveled his ancient eyes on hers. Tension filled the air, demanding all to silence. Only the Doctor and his prey were granted permission to speak. "How," he demanded. "Are you here."

Rose did not cowering under his authority. She never had to and proved now she never would. A single eyebrow perked and a mocking little smirk twisted her lips as she said, "Jack's vortex manipulator. Though," She turned her smirk to Jack. "We were a few minutes late."

"That's not what I meant," the Doctor said.

Rose leaned forward a bit. "Irrelevant."

"Two universes poised to break." The Doctor raised his brown to match hers. "Irrelevant?" He crossed his arms. "I do not remember you being this cold."

"I don't remember you wearing bow ties," she countered.

The Doctor instinctively fixed his tie. "Bowties are cool."

"Doctor."

"What happened to you?"

Something shifted in her eyes. For the first time, her cool exterior metaphorically blinked. "You're getting off the subject."

"I like being off the subject," he said. He was determined now that he had the advantage.

She glanced away. "Doctor, please."

"Don't keep secrets from me." To the outside world, it was a demand; in truth, it was a plea.

"Space." Her voice was beginning to waver. Just slightly, lost to the undiscerning.

The Doctor was _extremely _discerning. He dropped his voice to an intimate whisper, "You _never_ kept secrets from _me_."

"1969."

"I _will_ find out," he promised.

Rose met his promise with a challenge. "Canton. Delaware."

The game was over. It was a draw.

Time and all reality could breathe again.

The Doctor stepped back. "Canton Delaware. Well, that could be anyone." He turned away; he never saw the flash of relief in her eyes. "How many of those running about, 1969 or not. There was a war before then and lots and lots of babies afterwards. I need more than that. And no, space will not narrow it down, Rory, thank you."

Rory stepped back and frowned.

"Everett," Jack supplied. "His full name is Canton Everett Delaware the third."

The Doctor smiled. "There!" He pointed to Jack. "_That_ I can use. Thank you, Jack, for being useful, unlike the rest of you lot." He waved his hand about, dismissing them entirely as he turned to the momentary task at hand.

In that moment, two things happened.

Amy nearly ran past the Doctor to disappear down the stairs leading below the TARDIS consul with River following swiftly.

Rose, for her part, exited with more decorum and grace. Shoulders squared and head thrown back with every ounce of Tyler pride, she marched up the stairs to the honey-comb corridors beyond.

Silence once again descended upon the TARDIS control room.

The Doctor leaned heavily on the consul. His words, though containing a mild level of contemplation, were designed to lighten the mood. Rory saw it at face value. Jack knew better. "Why is every female here cross with me?"

"I don't know. I'll go check." Rory followed his wife to the lower decks.

Jack sauntered toward the stairs.

"Jack."

The Captain halted on the top step.

The Doctor did not look at him. "Are you going to tell me?"

Jack smirked. "Of course not." He continued upward and onward after Rose.

In the solitude that now embraced him, the Doctor allowed himself a moment's weakness. He hung his head and closed his eyes; years of regret reflected in the lines of his age. Then, it was gone, pushed back into the past where it belonged. The Doctor looked up and moved forward.

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"Well," she whispered as she ran her fingertips along the unfamiliar and yet so very familiar walls of the TARDIS. "That could have gone better."

She didn't expect an answer. She never did.

She ignored the ache of her heart when no answer came.

"It's alright now," she continued, talking to no one. It was a habit she had developed. Those in authority rarely had a safe confidant. Solitude was the companion of power, thus speaking out loud became her solace. "You survived. You always survive. And you will survive this."

She leaned back against the hexagonal hallway and released all her pent up frustration in one heavy sigh. Everything had changed. She had accepted—no, expected that. It should not bother her now that the truth was revealed. She had been gone a long, long time. And things had changed.

She would do what she learned to do best.

She would move on.

"It won't be hard," she counseled herself as she ran her hands over her face. "You prepared for this. It is all as you expected."

"And what was expected?"

Rose turned to face her sole companion and friend. Through all of the time and change, Jack remained. He was not immune to the effects—none of them were—yet he had succeeded in regaining his place in her heart. He would be the _only_ one. "Everything's changed," Rose said in a tone reminiscent of one commenting on the weather. "The Doctor, the TARDIS. Even new companions. Did you see? A married couple."

"Rose."

"Very sweet. I must congratulate them. Rory especially, keeping his girl loyal with the…" She trailed off. "Time and change."

Jack rolled his eyes.

"What?" she asked. Jack crossed his arms and shook his head. Rose frowned. "Don't start. We knew what we were getting into when we got our summons."

"I don't think we did."

Rose paused to recall the events of the day. "Well, yes, the Doctor's death was a bit of a shock."

"Don't you think it's strange that he invited us to his death."

"No," Rose dismissed with a wave of her hand. "That's exactly like him."

Jack smirked. "That's not what I meant."

"Then please," she said as she turned to face him fully, one hand on her hip. "Enlighten me."

"The Doctor," Jack began.

"A future version of that Doctor," Rose supplied.

"Sends us, two people he has not seen for a _long_ time,"

"Very long time," Rose reminds herself.

"To his death. That's not strange?"

"No," Rose said. "He had to invite us because he remembered us being there."

"At his death, which he invited us to attend in the first place."

"Exactly," Rose confirmed. "Time travel. Paradox. Easy. You should know that already."

Jack shook his head. She was being stubborn. "So, Commander, what now?"

"We wait," she said simply. "Our timelines are now part of the unfolding events. Once it plays out, we leave."

"We leave?" Jack asked skeptically. "Just like that?"

From down the hall came the Doctor's belligerent declaration of "I'm being extremely clever up here and no one is standing around looking impressed. What's the point of having you all?"

Jack grinned.

Rose closed her eyes. The pain that crossed her face was not lost to her friend, but she knew he would have the decency to pretend otherwise. This was not her Doctor. She had no reason to stay. Looking Jack firmly in the eyes, she said, "Just like that."

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

Things were quickly deteriorating in the control room. Not only had the Doctor determined that Space, 1969, and Canton Everett Delaware III were indeed important—"Big temporal tipping points where anything's possible!"—but also that they were most certainly _not_ going until he got some answers. Sitting back in his chair, the Doctor fixed an almost condemning stare upon his three current companions. Rose watched from the safety of the stairs as the drama continued to unfold.

"Don't play games with me," he said, his eyes flickering for a moment to the blond that was currently the root of his foul mood. "Don't ever EVER think you're capable of that."

River, the brave woman who had taken the Doctor's abuse almost singlehandedly, stood once more in his path. "You're gonna have to trust us this time."

"Trust you?" the Doctor asked, almost laughed, as he stood. "Sure. But, first of all, Doctor Song." He closed the distance between them. Rose felt Jack stiffen next to her as the Doctor bore down upon River Song. "Tell me something. Who are you?"

Rose narrowed her eyes. What sort of questions was that?

"You're someone from my future, guessing that, but whom?"

_Oh_, Rose thought. _So, River has her secrets too._

River gave no reply.

"Ok." The Doctor tried again. "Why are you in prison? Who did you kill, hm?"

"Prison?" Jack whispered, confused.

River flushed in shame and looked once more to Jack. Her eyes swam momentarily with regret. She did not look away until the Doctor spoke again.

"Now, I love a bad girl, me, but trust you?"

River met his gaze.

The Doctor scoffed. "Seriously?"

"Trust me."

Rose straightened from the railing, intrigued, as Amy stepped forward. This was a twist. She was almost certain it was River who was the new companion and that Amy and Rory were along for the ride. But now, as she watched the Doctor and the young red-head and the shaken River Song, she began to reevaluate her theory.

"You have to do this and you can't ask why," Amy nearly pleaded.

"Are you being threatened?" the Doctor asked with genuine concern. "Is someone making you say that?"

"No," Amy deflected.

"You're lying."

"I'm not lying."

_Yes, she is._ Rose thought.

"Sweat to me," the Doctor said. "Swear to me on something that _matters_."

Rose leaned on the railing, anxious for the answer. What mattered to this Doctor?

"Fish fingers and custard."

The answer was surprising, yet, as the Doctor sagged back in what Rose could only interpret as relief, she wondered at her surprise. This may not be her Doctor, but it was still _the_ Doctor. And sometime the simplest things had the most meaning for him. The minor similarity was a small comfort, one she stored in her heart for future reflection. For now, she needed to focus. They were heading into something dangerous. She would be ready.

"My life in your hands, Amelia Pond."

Amy relaxed, relieved. "Thank you."

"So," the Doctor clapped again and turned to address the gathering. "Canton Everett Delaware III. Who is he? Come on, you lot, let's find out. You two!" He pointed to Rose and Jack. "You're a part of things, so you might as well help." He performed his dance about the TARDIS, and they were off again.

Jack broke from Rose's side to speak to River. Rose watched the Captain steer the willing doctor into a corner. Once upon a time, Rose would have laughed at the Captain's antics. He would have seen the pretty professor and slid in for an introduction, followed by the Doctor's groan and command to "Stop it!" with which Jack would have countered with "I am just saying hello!" and the banter would move on. However, that was a side of Jack she had not seen, well, since before she found him in that bar, centuries older and equally surprised to see her as she was to see him.

Even now, it was not oily charm that dripped from Captain Jack Harkness. No, as he and River conversed in low tones away from the world, she saw genuine concern in his eyes. Indeed, the pretty professor had caught his eye, but not in any way Rose had ever seen. And she did not like it. She had warned him that they were leaving once this was over. Attachments would make that harder.

But, for now, she would let it lie.

Amy and Rory stayed back as well, letting the Doctor do his work. Rose would have to congratulate the young man. Not only had he kept his wife from the allure of the Doctor—a feat that would test any man and best most—but he had won a fiery, strong-willed woman who stood as the true companion. _That_ was an accomplishment. Rose promised herself that, while here, she would protect those two, no matter the cost.

Rose turned to the TARDIS consul and began to search for any information on Canton Everett Delaware III. A portion of the work was already done. He had been found. Now, to go deeper. She typed away at the TARDIS keyboard, reading the information coming up with a trained eye, discarding the unnecessary and pulling out the relevant. She was so caught up in her search that she failed to notice him.

"You don't trust me."

It was not a question. It was not meant to be.

Rose paused in her search. She would not lie. Not about this. "What gave me away?"

The Doctor turned to the readouts on the screen. "You never used to keep secrets from me. But now, I can't get a straight answer."

"Well observed." She continued her work.

"What happened, Rose?"

The softness of his tone caused her to stop. She resisted the urge to bite her lip, to turn away, or even just look at him. She would remain steadfast. She _would_ survive. Adopting the mantel that had kept her safe all these long years, she said, "Time and change."

The answer must have baffled him, for he repeated it with a mix of confusion and disbelief. She could not blame him. After all, once upon a time, she had stood in defiance against the impossible. To say such a submissive thing now was quite the change.

Wanting to return to her work and away from dangerous subjects, she allowed an explanation. "Time passes and things change. _You_ of all creatures should understand that one."

"Yes, but," The confusion was still evident. She felt his eyes upon her face. She heard the near desperation that he was trying to hide in his words. "Not you," he said. "Never you."

She could not stop the short, bitter laugh that escaped her. Perhaps she had allowed it to pass. Let him hear it. Let him suffer. Just a little bit. Perhaps. Maybe Fate would punish him just a little bit, for it had given out its fair share of punishment to her. But she survived. She always survived. "Yes me." Anger and bitterness bubbled up in her heart. Not toward him—it was not his fault—but she pointed it at him none the less. Why couldn't he just let it go? "I am not your Rose Tyler anymore," she said, finally facing him with an honest, open soul. "And you…" She trailed off. The shock on his face stole the heat from her words. She turned back to the screen and resumed her work, the mantel falling over her soul, blocking him again. "You are not my Doctor."

The TARDIS beeped. "Here we go," Rose said, forcing them back to the moment. "Canton Everett Delaware III. Got kicked out of the FBI."

The Doctor watched her for a lingering moment then shook his head. He was not finished. She knew that. But for now, he turned to the screen. "Why?"

"Seems he had a problem with authority. The details are unknown. But," She pulled up a new set of information. "Six weeks after he left, the President contacted him for a secret meeting."

"1969," the Doctor mused. "Who's President?"

A few commands typed in and… "Richard Millhouse Nixon. Vietnam. Watergate. Not the best leader."

"Not the worst but close."

"A bit harsh."

"Says the pot to the kettle."

Rose let that slide. "Oh well, Allons-y."

The Doctor snapped his head around. Rose flushed at the slip but refused to acknowledge it. The Doctor grinned. "Geronimo."

**AN:** Many of you have commented on Rose's un-Rose-like portrayal. I hope this chapter has eased some of your fears. Much has happened to Rose Tyler, and, if you stay with me through this journey, I promise, you'll find out. Thank you so much for the reviews. The next chapter is going to be less emotion-ladden and more like the Doctor Who we all love. Get ready, because the adventure is about to begin. Allons-y!


	4. The Impossible Conversation

_Unwritten_

By: Jecir

Chapter Four: the Impossible Conversation

"Ok," the Doctor said as he pulled a lever here and a lever there. "Since I don't know what I'm getting into this time, for once I am being discreet. Putting the engines on silent." He pulled a lever and a loud grinding noise filled the TARDIS. River quickly pushed the lever back, silencing the offending noise.

"Did you do something?" the Doctor asked.

River shrugged and shook her head.

"Hn. Ok." He continued where he had left off. "Putting the outer shell on invisible. Haven't done that in a while. Big drain on the power." Another lever and the TARDIS was flooded with bright lights.

River exchanged a look with Jack and Rose as she turned the new lights off. All three were grinning at some sort of secret thing that only mysterious people seemed to know. It put Rory on edge. The Doctor was enough of a mystery; and River, he accepted without questions—he trusted her; he just didn't know why—but those two, Rose and Jack, were a different story. Rose knew things, things she should not know. And she did not seem to like the Doctor very much. Those two factors made him wary. He would need to keep an eye on her.

Rose met his eye. He stiffened. Was she reading his mind?

She smirked and turned away.

_Weird._ Seeking something to distract him, Rory asked, "You can turn the TARDIS invisible?"

"Of course," the Doctor said as he slapped the scanner. "However, doing so knocks out my scanners. Give me a moment." He skipped to the door. "Wait." The tweed-clad Time Lord turned. "You lot, stay here."

"What?" Amy protested. "Why?"

Though he was speaking to Amy, his words were cast to the mysterious trio. "We're in the middle of the most powerful city in the most powerful country on earth. Let's take it slow, shall we?" With that, he slipped out the door.

"Well," Rory thought. "That's a first."

"I can't believe he left us," Amy said, crossing her arms and frowning.

"We're keeping secrets," Rose reminded her.

"_You're_ keeping secrets," Rory accused in return.

The powerful blond did not react to the stab as Rory had feared. She simply watched him, analyzing and calculating, always seeming to be making plans. He did not want to be included, and he certainly did not want his wife included.

"We're all keeping secrets, _Centurion_," Rose repeated, ignoring the shock on Rory and Amy's faces. She circled the TARDIS, speaking firmly and once again taking command of the group. "And for good reason. The Doctor's future is in our hands. It is a burden we will have to carry and the secret we cannot betray, even to the detriment of his trust in us. Is that clear?"

A chorus of "yes ma'am" and "yes, Commander" was her answer.

"Good. River, get the scanner working. We'll need audio and visual. Jack, recalibrate the vortex manipulator."

"Got it." Jack went to work on the strange device strapped to his wrist.

Rose pulled her leather jacket sleeve up to reveal a similar device. This was smaller and circular with a keypad encircling the central orange button. "Connect the communication feeds with the reentry system. You'll need to be able to track us. And you two." She turned to Amy and Rory.

Rory instinctively stepped in front of Amy. Something burned inside of him that had not surfaced since the Pandorica. It was a feeling he had hoped never to have again. But, as he stood facing this Commander Rose Tyler, he could not stop the sensation from crawling up his spine. He wanted to fight.

Again, her eyes drank him in, dissected him, and drew a conclusion. Her air shifted, softened, and the tension faded as she allowed the first smile to appear on her face. "Sit tight. Things will go wrong soon enough."

"We have visual," River reported.

"Let's see it."

The band of travelers gathered around the screen.

The Doctor was standing behind President Nixon and another man—Canton Delaware?

"How long until we have audio?" Rose asked.

River unplugged and replugged a few wires. "One minute," she said. "There."

_"—is President Nixon."_ The voice crackled through the speakers.

"A recording," Jack said.

_"Who's calling?"_ the recorded President asked. _"Is this you?"_

"Of what?" Amy asked.

"We're about to find out," Rose answered.

_"Mr. President?"_ the eerie voice cut through the TARDIS, drawing in their attention. Only Jack saw River stiffen.

"A child?" Canton asked from outside.

_"This is the President, yes."_

_ "I'm scared, Mr. President," _the child cried. Amy felt her heart clench at the sound. _"I'm scared of the spaceman."_

"A little girl?" asked Canton.

President Nixon shook his head. "A boy."

"How can you be sure?"

As is cuing himself, Nixon pointed back to the recording, where his voice once more spoke. _"What spaceman? Where are calling from? Where are you right now? Who are you?"_

"I've heard enough." Rose pulled a gun—_her _gun—from the holster under her jacket, checked it, and then headed for the door, the child's voice following her with _"Jefferson Adams Hamilton."_

"The Doctor wanted us to stay here," Rory said in an attempt to usurp her authority.

Rose ignored him. "Keep your eyes on the screen. I'll signal if I need help."

Rory frowned. He really did not like her.

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"—is something the Bureau could handle, sir."

Rose stepped out into the middle of the Oval Office. Once upon a time, this location would have caused her to stop in wonder. How many people got to see the Oval Office without being invited? But that was another Rose Tyler from another time. She was Commander Rose Tyler. She had work to do.

"These calls happen wherever I am," President Nixon was saying. His back remained to them. Rose used that to her advantage. She slowly crossed the carpet to stand next to the Doctor. "How do I know the Bureau is not involved?"

The Doctor glanced up from his notes, grinned, and looked back down. Then, his head snapped up as he realized that she had willfully disobeyed him and was now standing in plain sight of the most powerful man in the world. He frowned and pointed back to the TARDIS. Rose shook her head and pointed to the two men. The Doctor pointed more fervently to the TARDIS. Rose shook her gun in his face—forgetting that it was in her hand—and then pointed it back at the two men.

It was then that the President turned around. "What the!"

Rose and the Doctor looked at the President and Canton, who had leapt to his feet in surprise. "Oh," the Doctor said. "Hello."

"Gun!" Canton yelled.

Rose looked at her weapon and frowned. "Oops."

President Nixon pressed the emergency button at the same time that Canton charged Rose.

"Now, now!" the Doctor protested as Canton pushed him aside. "There's no need to be hasty! We mean no harm! Right, Rose?"

Rose was currently judo throwing Canton over her hip and onto the floor, where she twisted one of his hands behind his back and pointed her gun at his head. "Don't move," she said.

Secret service agents burst through the door. "Lock down! Lock down!" yelled Agent Peterson.

"Rose!" Jack burst out of the TARDIS with River on his heels. The two took guard positions in front of Rose and the Doctor, guns drawn on the crowd of guards creating a wall between them and the President. Amy and Rory stumbled out behind everyone, crying, "Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"

"Yes, don't shoot," the Doctor said, casting a disapproving look upon anyone holding a gun.

"Put your guns down!" Peterson commanded.

"You first," Jack replied.

"_Everyone_ put your guns down!" the Doctor snapped. "Rose, let Canton up!"

Rose slowly took the pressure off of Canton's arm and stepped back, allowing him to stand up.

Canton rubbed his wrist as he joined the wall of agents, a mix of intrigue and irritation on his face.

"We've let your man go," the Doctor said. "Now can we all please lower our guns?"

Agent Peterson did not comply. "Who are you!" he demanded. "How did you get in here!"

"Calm, Agent," Rose said. She holstered her gun and raised her hands. Stepping around the Doctor, she said, "We come in peace. My apologies to Mr. Delaware. I did not mean to hurt him."

"Well, you did," Canton said in a tone borderlining on impressed. He looked over the group, his fascination seeming to grow with each passing second. His voice, though retaining its sense of authority, reiterated the earlier question of "Who are you?" with curiosity.

"I am Rose Tyler, Torchwood High Command."

Some of the agents had the audacity to snicker. President Nixon did not. Canton noticed the wide-eyed look the President quickly covered at the mention of this strange organization.

"Torchwood?" Canton repeated, testing the word.

"Do not think you can fool us," Peterson snapped. "Torchwood is a myth."

"Just like Area 51," Rose said. "Isn't that right, Mr. President?"

"Who—" President Nixon swallowed and sank into his chair. "Who are you?"

"Torchwood," Rose said again. "As I said, I am Commander Tyler. This is my team, code names 'The Captain,'" She nodded to Jack. Then, to River, she glanced and her eyes grew distant for a second, as if looking through the curly-haired secret keeper. " 'The Professor,'" she finally said. River breathed a short sigh of relief. Rose turned back to the President. " 'The Centurion.'" Rory stiffened. She had said it _again_. " 'The Girl who waited.'" It was Amy's turn to be startled. How did she know that? "And finally," Rose looked to him. "The Doctor. We have been made aware of your situation and have come to aid in the investigation."

Peterson snorted. "Torchwood, right. If you are telling the truth, you won't mind producing some credentials."

"Of course," Rose said coolly. "Captain. Professor. Go get our credentials." Jack and River turned to obey. "Oh, and River?" River stopped. "Turn off the cloaking device. I think we've caused enough trouble today."

River nodded and slipped into thin air. A moment later, the air shimmered to reveal a large blue box.

The guards gasped in shock. "What is that?" President Nixon bellowed.

"It's a Police Call Box," the Doctor answered. "Can't you read?"

"Rude," Rose whispered.

"Enough!" Peterson snapped. "You are under arrest for threatening the President of the United States!"

"We're trying to help!" Rory protested.

"You are a clear and present danger!" Peterson hissed back.

Canton's low laugh cut through the room, drawing all eyes to him. "Well, this is interesting," he mused before looking up at the Doctor. "How did you get that in here?"

"Clever, eh?"

"Love it."

"Don't compliment the intruders!" Peterson grumbled.

"Mr. President," the Doctor interrupted. "That little girl—yes, girl, Canton was right—told you everything you need to know to find her but you were not listening. But that's ok. You give me five minutes, and I'll find her."

"Five minutes?" Canton asked, caught between amusement and disbelief.

"Stop engaging the intruders!"

"Mr. President," Canton cut off Peterson before he could continue speaking. "Commander Tyler and her team walked in here with a big blue box. And," He pointed to Agent Peterson. "That's the man they walked past. I think we can allow him five minutes. See if he delivers."

"Thank you, Canton!"

"And if he doesn't." A cool grin pulled at Canton's lips. "I'll shoot him myself."

The Doctor wilted a bit. "Not so thanks."

President Nixon looked over the strange gathering in silent contemplation. The stress of the recent events was evident in his eyes. He wanted answers as much as the Doctor wanted to give them. Sitting back in his chair, he said, "Very well. Five minutes."

"Great!" the Doctor clapped. "I'm going to need an S.W.A.T. team ready to mobilize; street maps covering all of Florida; a pot of coffee; twelve Jamie dodgers; and a fez!"

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

Five minutes later found the small band of time travelers scattered about the Oval Office pouring over maps, looking for…something. The Doctor leaned against the Resolute Desk talking with Canton. Rose sat across from Amy and Rory on the couches, focused on the maps, murmuring into her wrist device.

Amy tried to help. She scanned the map in her hands for the fifth time but nothing registered. Her mind was preoccupied. They were looking for the spaceman, like the one who killed the Doctor. Was it the same one? If it was, maybe…

Her stomach cramped. Amy grimaced and stood up, planning to take a quick lap around the room to try to settle the churning. That's when she saw it. The creature standing, unnoticed, in the doorway. Her mind drew back into the moments before the Doctor's death. She had seen that thing before. "I remember."

"Amy?" Rory asked, appearing in front of her. "Are you alright?"

Amy blinked. What had she been looking at? She couldn't remember. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit sick. Is there a toilet around here?"

"Sorry miss," Peterson butted in. "But while these proceedings are happening, no one is allowed to leave."

"Shut up and take her to the bathroom," Canton commanded from the desk.

Amy gave a soft smile to her husband and followed the agent out of the room.

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"Your five minutes are up," Canton said.

"Yeah. And where's my fez?" the Doctor countered.

"Fezzes and bowties." Rose shook her head. This new Doctor was definitely interesting, she would give him that.

_"What was that, Rose?"_ Jack's voice buzzed from her wrist.

"Nothing. How are things on your end?"

_"We've made it inside,"_ he reported.

"Good." Rose glanced at Peterson. He was watching her carefully. He seemed to be the only one who noticed the lack of procured credentials. "We've got things handled over here for now, but…" A dull pain rose behind her eyes. Rose blinked and suppressed a groan. "I don't know—" It increased. She closed her eyes.

_"Rose?"_ Jack called.

Rose rubbed her temples. The pain pulsed; each wave coming stronger; and with each wave came an image, unclear at first but coming into focus after each new wave, like a camera lens adjusting to a shot. Amy was standing in a bathroom. She was scared. Something was looming over her. The pulsing grew to a crescendo as a voice pierced her mind. _"You will tell the Doctor what he must know and what he must never know."_ Amy gaped at the creature. Her fear was tangible. A scream ripped through the vision as the creature hissed, _"Tell him!"_

_ "Rose!"_ Rose jerked up. The head ache was gone, but the vision remained, stark, clear, and frightening. "Hold on, Jack," she said before standing. "Rory." The young man looked up at her, distrust in his eyes. Bless him for his naiveté. She hoped he would never lose that. "Where is Amy?"

"In the bathroom," he said.

"Go get her."

"I can't," he said, pointing to the guards. "They won't—oh."

Amy was back. And she was safe. "You ok?" Rose asked the young wife as she rejoined them.

"Yeah," Amy confirmed.

Rose was not convinced.

Then, the phone rang.

"The kid?" Canton guessed.

"Should I answer it?" Nixon asked.

"Here!" the Doctor declared. "The only place in the United States that call could be coming from! See?" He tapped the map. "Obvious when you think about it."

The phone rang again.

Canton looked over the map. "You, sir, are a genius."

"A hobby," was the Doctor's reply.

"Mr. President," Canton glanced up at the Commander in Chief. "Answer the phone."

President Nixon steeled his nerves and reached for the phone. Before raising it to his ear, he activated the recording, just to be safe. "Hello? This is President Nixon."

"It's here!" the girl cried out for all to hear. "The spaceman is here! It's gonna get me! It's gonna eat me!"

Amy gasped into her hands, the child's fear stirring a need for action inside of her.

"There's no time for the S.W.A.T. team. Let's go!" Rory, Amy, and Rose hurried into the TARDIS. The Doctor followed, giving a few last minute commands as he went. "Mr. President, tell her help is on the way! Canton, on no account follow me into this box and close the door behind you!"

"What the hell are you doing!" Canton demanded, doing exactly what the Doctor wanted. He followed them into the TARDIS and into his future.

President Nixon watched with fascination as the TARDIS began to dematerialize.

"Mr. President, please!" the child cried. "Please help me!"

Nixon raised the phone back to his ear and whispered soothingly, "Jefferson, it's alright. I'm sending my best people."

**AN:** Again, I am humbled by the response to this story. And to those who have voiced concern over the vagueness of Rose's history, I cannot promise that will end. This fanfic is not centered on Rose-I mean, it is not supposed to be a Rose-centric fic; if that happens it is because I like writing Rose. This story is supposed to be a retelling of Season six with the inclusion of Rose and Jack and a display of how I feel their presence would alter things. So, in true Doctor Who fashion, Rose's past will be revealed in the proper timing, no sooner. I as an author cannot and will not insert information into a scene if it does not compliment the moment. So, again, I request that you bear with me. All will be revealed in time.


	5. The Impossible Confrontation

_Unwritten_

By: Jecir

Chapter Five: The Impossible Confrontation

_"We're on the move, Jack,"_ Rose reported.

Jack looked over his shoulder at the empty hallway. He was grateful for the early hours. It was currently four am in London, leaving even the mysterious Torchwood understaffed during the graveyard shift. It had been only a matter of stealth, and, when in a pinch, a kiss from the hallucination inducing lipstick of one Professor River Song to gain access to the Torchwood records room and the archaic computer that stored all the agency's credentials. They had been there for a while; much longer than Jack had wanted, and he was starting to get nervous.

_"Can you track us?"_

Jack did not need to glance at his vortex manipulator to know the answer. The ancient piece of time-tech had proven too sporadic to be trusted. Despite recalibration and some rather clever jiggery pokery, he knew it would be more luck than accuracy if they managed to land in the right time zone much less the right time period. He had been happy to arrive at all to the location specified in the Doctor's invitations; had he known what they were walking into, however, he would have worked harder to be on time. Had they been, perhaps things would be different. Perhaps. Regardless, now, he was less then hopeful of finding Rose again. "It would help if I knew where you were going," he confessed.

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THI IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

In the TARDIS, Rose stood away from the energetic Doctor and enthusiastic Amy, keeping an eye on both while conversing in secret with her partner. "We are hunting a spaceman in the United States, Jack. Where do you _think_ we are going?"

A burst of static preceded his answer. _"NASA."_

"Exactly." Rose turned her back to the consul, catching a glimpse of Canton as she went. The ex-FBI agent, like so many others before him, was gaping at the TARDIS in wonder, his mind unable to comprehend what it was he was seeing. Rory was doing his best to help. Rose grinned to herself and continued onward. "NASA, Florida, United States, 1969."

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THI IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"1969." The year nagged at the back of his mind. "You do realize what happens this year."

_"Yes,_" was her reply. _"Humanity goes to the moon."_

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THI IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

_"Think it's a coincidence?" _

Rose glanced back at the Doctor. He was jovially explaining things to Amy. The ginger companion watched him with wide-eyed innocence, drinking it all in. Rose could not help the concern rising in her heart as she watched them. Amy was too pure. Fate would not stand for that. Soon, Amy would pay the price for her adventurous spirit. Rose wished she could prevent the inevitable. Maybe, just maybe, she could save them.

She turned away. "Nothing is coincidence." The TARDIS gave a jolt. "We've landed. I'll get you a location as soon as I can. Hold on."

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THI IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

Jack began to pace. The room was cramped, and the credentials were taking too long. Each second left Rose alone with the Doctor. This increased Jack's anxiety. He needed to get back to her, make sure she was alright, or, more importantly, make sure the Doctor was alright. Bloody idiot did not know how close he was to being on the wrong end of Rose's pistol. "Hurry up," he breathed.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," River said from the keyboard. "Secret government alien task force notwithstanding, this computer is dreadfully slow."

Despite her bad news, Jack could not help but smile. The mischievous River Song was taking the unpleasant edge off of this wait. He would not have infiltrated the facility nearly as quickly without her help. Rose had foreseen that, he was certain. She was always one step ahead; had been the moment they started traveling together again. Every planet, every mission, every tight spot they found themselves in, Rose had already figured a way out. At times, it excited him; others, it worried him. There were things Rose knew that she should not know, and one day, he would figure out why. For now, he would keep his friend close, where he could protect her, because God knew, she had suffered enough.

"_Clever girl."_

Jack broke from his thoughts. "Say again?"

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THI IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

Rose stared out the window, caught by his genius. He _had_ figured it out.

"Just like a lost girl." The Doctor walked up behind her, his hands in his pockets and that smug "I was right" grin on his face. "Nixon asked her where she was, and she looked out the window."

"Brilliant," Rose breathed, unable to help it. She had not thought of that. Turning from the window, she spoke into her communicator. "Jack, we're at the junction of Jefferson Street, Adams Street, and Hamilton Avenue, about…" She looked up at the Doctor.

"Five miles from Cape Kennedy Space Center."

"Did you hear that?"

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THI IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"I copy, Commander." Jack typed the information into his keypad. "Searching for you as we speak."

"_We're in an abandoned warehouse of some sort. There's industrial junk everywhere. Moving in."_

"Be careful," Jack cautioned.

"_Always."_

_Always._ Jack shook his head. Always accident prone was more like it. He looked back at River. She was watching him with a knowing sort of look, one that conveyed both a shared sympathy for concerns felt and amusement at the inevitable. Jack did not know why, but to him, it seemed right that River understood the complication that was Rose Tyler; and he was grateful for that. He cast his best smile—one he had not used in, oh, near a few centuries—and said sternly, "Back to work, Professor."

River matched his smile with a coy one of her own. "Aye, Captain."

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THI IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"Anyone else noticed that this is most definitely a trap?" the Doctor asked as he led them boldly into the unknown. When no one answered, he turned to face them, walking backward with no regard for the large bits of debris scattered about their path. "No one? No? Not even you, _Commander_ Tyler?"

"Was a bit busy," Rose answered tersely. She watched the darkness, her gun at the ready, and her focus not on the Doctor's need to ramble.

"I thought a high-ranking _Torchwood_ official would notice the unusualities of this place," he tsked.

"If you mean the phone, _yes, _I noticed." She checked around a corner. "Clear."

"What about the phone?" Amy asked.

"It was disconnected," replied the Doctor. He turned back to search the night for answers to the growing mystery. "Which begs the questions: How did the little girl phone President Nixon?"

"Ok." Amy went silent for a moment before picking up on an earlier part of the conversation conveniently smoothed over during the Doctor's attempt at baiting Rose into banter. "Who would want to trap us?"

"Short list or the long?" Rose commecnted as she checked behind some crates. The Doctor moved on ahead, disregarding the possible dangers, like he did, leaving the others to catch up. When Rose was satisfied that nothing lurked behind the bric-a-brac, she rejoined Amy. "The Doctor has several enemies."

"Are you one of them?"

The question caught Rose off guard. She did not stop her vigilance, however. A lowered guard was a death sentence. "What makes you say think that?"

"Well, you are kind of givin' off mixed signals," Amy admitted as she watched the soldier work. Rose moved with a fierce determination that made Amy feel safe even if she was uncertain of Rose's intentions. "I mean, you show up in time to try to save the Doctor's life; then, when he arrives, very much alive, you act like you want to kill him."

Rose paused, evaluating, for the first time, her behavior over the course of the day. "You're right," she concluded. "Those are mixed signals."

Amy waited for her to continue. Rose did not. "So?" Amy probed. "What happened? You're obviously angry at him."

"I'm not angry _at_ him," Rose corrected.

"But you're not happy to see him," Amy countered.

The darkness did well to mask the resignation in Rose's eyes. "Yeah, something like that. Look." She turned around to face Amy and silence any further questions. "My history with the Doctor is long and complicated and not relevant to what is going on. When all of this is over, Jack and I are leaving. Things will go back to normal for you, have no fear of that. But while I am here, I intend to help. So," she said as she returned to her search, "No, I am not the Doctor's enemy."

Amy frowned. That conversation had revealed absolutely nothing.

The Doctor's head appeared from around the corner. "Come along, Pond!"

Amy trotted to catch up with him. They entered the open expanse that was the main hub of the old factory. Rose holstered her gun and proceeded forward to examine an illuminated table off to the left. Amy watched the older woman leave, her mind mulling over their brief conversation. If she was not the Doctor's enemy, who was she? She claimed to be a friend, but she was aloof at best and certainly displayed no love for the Doctor. She was not angry _at_ him, but she was certainly angry _because_ of him. Women's intuition began to weave a theory that caused Amy to both scoff and question. Sliding up next to the Doctor, she lowered her voice to ask, "Was she your girlfriend?"

The Doctor stumbled to a stop and spun around quickly to exclaim, "What? No!" Realizing just how loud and forceful a reply that was, the Doctor glanced over his shoulder to make sure the subject of their discussion was not listening before lowering his voice and trying again. "No. No, of course not. What would make you say that?"

"Oh, I don't know," Amy drawled. "Her slapping you, maybe?" She grinned at the memory of him falling back against the countertop. His face had been priceless. The Doctor was not so inclined to laugh. He scowled and stalked into the sectioned off offices near the far wall. Amy jogged after him. "Come on, Doctor, you're eleven hundred—"

"Nine hundred," the Doctor corrected.

_Two hundred years younger than the one who died_, Amy realized. A wash of hope filled her heart. His death was so far away. Maybe they _could_ stop it after all. She plowed on before he could question her hesitation. "Nine hundred years old. Surely you left a few broken hearts behind."

The Doctor ducked behind the desk, a physical representation of his mental strategy. Amy followed him. "So, what happened? You leave her stranded on a remote planet somewhere?"

The Doctor's reaction to her teasing interest caused the breath to catch in her throat. He had often looked sad but nothing like this. The brief flash of pain and sorrow in his ancient eyes made Amy reevaluate her need to know. She sat back, at a loss. Rose had been right. Their history _was_ complicated.

"I think he's alright now." Rory to the rescue. Her handsome hubby had just arrived with a finally settled-in Canton.

The Doctor put on his mask of increased happiness and leapt up to congratulate Canton on his swift recovery.

Amy reached for her husband. Rory helped her up from the dirty floor. "So," he asked as he wrapped his arm around her waist and led her from the office. "What did you find out?"

Amy snuggled into Rory's chest and sighed heavily. "They're both closed-lipped. It's best not to pry."

Rory furrowed his brow. When Amy wanted to know something, she found out. She always found out. "Was it that bad?"

The Doctor waved at them from across the room. He was grinning like a fool as he put on a space helmet and posed. Amy waved back. "Yes," she said, slipping from his arms. "It was."

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THI IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

_"Have you found anything?" _ Jack asked.

Rose stood over the table. It was definitely extraterrestrial. Worn but not old. Recently used, by the looks of it. She told as much to Jack. "I can't identify the species. It's almost generic."

_"How so?"_

"There are no distinctive cultural marks that I can see." She moved around the scene, drinking in every detail and cross-referencing it with all the races she had encountered both in this world and Pete's. "It's a mismatch of different races. Krackteen. Rouch-Yvek. Even some Jadoon. My best guess is collaboration."

_"Or an Organization."_

"Yes," Rose mused. "An interstellar organization. Wouldn't be the first time we faced one of those. But why would they be coming after a little earth girl?"

_"Best figure that one out."_

Rose stood up, her eyes focused on a group of large power cables running from the alien technology outside the circle of light.

"Check out all this cool space stuff!" the Doctor said nearby. Rose glanced back. The Doctor was talking animatedly to Amy and Rory about the contemporary space equipment.

"Why would aliens travel across the galaxy for technology that can't even reach the moon?" Amy was asking.

_Good question_, Rose thought, turning away. "The spaceman is connected to these aliens. That is certain. Now, to see where these cables lead." She followed the cables into the darkness.

_"You're not about to do something reckless and stupid, are you?" _Jack asked in a tone that implied he already knew the answer.

The cables led to a manhole. Rose knelt down to inspect it. "Of course not," she answered before pulling the heavy metal disk away from the hole.

_"Don't get yourself killed before I get back," _Jack warned.

"I'll do my best." Rose began to climb down into the darkness.

_"Oh, and Rose?"_

"Yeah?"

_"River says to keep an eye on Amy. Make sure she does not shoot the spaceman."_

Rose grinned to herself as she continued her decent. "Sounds like something she'd do."

_"Yeah, and paradoxes are not something we need to deal with right now."_

"Right." Rose reached the bottom and turned. The open manhole allowed the light to spill through enough for her to see a few feet in front of her. "Tunnels," she reported as she raised her gun. She could hear something breathing just beyond the light. She took one step then another, years of training pushing down her fears. She had challenged impossibility and lived. She would not fear the darkness.

Then, they came. Creatures she had never seen before looming out of the darkness, their cavernous eyes boring into her soul. The sight of them startled her for only a mere moment before she set her stance and leveled her gun. "Jack," she whispered, "Get back here. Now."

The creatures breathed in, the sound rattling through the darkness.

_"We don't have all the credentials yet."_

"Forget them!" she ordered. "Get back here, now!"

_"We can't teleport from inside."_ The sound of shuffling clothes and stomping feet crept through the connection. _"We'll be there as soon as we can."_

"Copy that." She narrowed her eyes, unafraid. "I see you."

The lead alien sucked in a hallow breath. "Rose Tyler," it heaved as it stepped forward. "The Bad Wolf."

A manic smirk cut her face. "So you've heard of me, then? Good."

It tilted it head. "The valiant child…"

A sharp pulse crashed behind her eyes. Rose winced.

"…who tears through worlds."

Another pulse, stronger, harder; it pulled at her consciousness, threatening to drown her. Rose fought it. She needed to keep eye contact. She _would not_ look away!

"Risking all," the creature continued in a voice that rang with familiarity. It raised its hand.

And Rose felt it in her mind, reaching, grabbing pulling at her memories. _Torchwood; clinging to the lever, feeling her fingers slip. She looked up at the Doctor one last time before being pulled away from him. London, 2011; shaking from the transport, knowing she had made it through the cracks in the universe yet not knowing how._

"Losing all."

The pain spread as its reach deepened. It wrapped itself around her heart and squeezed. _Bad Wolf Bay; losing the Doctor forever as his image faded into the air. Waking in the hospital; knowing she was once again trapped in another world, torn away from all she loved. _

The pain finally won. She jerked back, trying to break free, her eyes closing against the onslaught. Heat pooled in her stomach; a familiar heat powered by a forgotten song.

_The park in Pete's world; standing with her Doctor who was not her Doctor, and watching him fade from memory and time._

"Stop it!" she cried.

The heat rushed out of her.

_John…_

The world went black.

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"Commander Tyler? Commander Tyler! Hey!"

Rose opened her eyes. Her head was spinning. The world slowly came into focus, revealing Rory's less than concerned face hovering over her.

"Careful," Rory said as he helped her up. "You took quite a fall. Are you alright?"

_A fall?_ Rose looked up at the ladder and the open manhole. The Doctor, Amy, and Canton were looking back at her, a trio of worried and disapproving faces all. "I didn't fall," she muttered. She remembered reaching the bottom. After that…

"Some things never change," the Doctor called from overhead.

Rose frowned. "These tunnels lead further underneath the compound. I'm going to take a look around."

"No, you're not," the Doctor replied.

Rose stood and dusted off her pants. "Try to stop me, Doctor." Without waiting for his reply, she stepped boldly into the darkness.

"What! Rose!" the Doctor scowled darkly. "Rory, go with her!"

"Me?" Rory protested, but the Doctor had already disappeared, Canton following. Amy smiled encouragingly down at the flabbergasted young man, shrugged, and disappeared as well. Rory scowled, feeling not for the first time thoroughly abused by this lot. He pulled out his torch, turned it on, and trotted after the stubborn woman. "You shouldn't be walking around. You're hurt."

"I'm fine," Rose grumbled. She pressed her hand to the wall. "These walls are ancient. Older than the building itself."

"You know, walking through the sewers without a torch is dangerous," Rory continued. "You fainted."

"How can tunnels be here this long without anyone noticing?" Rose marched on, ignoring the young nurse.

Rory's irritation deepened. "Stop!" he finally snapped. "I command you to stop!"

Rose did something that truly shocked the young man. She laughed. "My, my, the young Roman does not like insubordination. Your pardon Captain, but, as I recall, I outrank you."

"How do you know about that?"

Rose paused at a junction. "An access hatch." She turned the corner to investigate.

Rory chased after her. He had had enough of her secrets. He would get his answers. Right here. Right now! "Answer me," he said firmly. Rose had knelt down in front of the door and pressed one ear to the metal, listening carefully as she turned a knob this way and that, like a thief with a troublesome safe. "You shouldn't know about that. Any of that! Me being…what I was. And Amy! How did you know about her? Only the Doctor calls her that, but you said it like it was common knowledge."

"I did," she confirmed.

"But how?" Rory asked again. "You claim to be the Doctor's ally. You claim you are here to help. But all you've done is cause trouble and upset Amy and—"

Rose was laughing again. It was not a celebration of humor; far from it. It was the laugh of one who had discovered a cruel irony and was resigned to the consequences of its existence. Sitting back on her heels, she looked up at him with a sad smile and sighed. "Oh, Rory Williams, the last Centurion. Look at us." She shook her head and turned her attention back to the locked door. "All of us. Me. Jack. River. Even you. We, all of us, have drunk deep impossibility and emerged altered." Her voice grew soft and her eyes, distant, as she continued to speak, revealing a truth so few had received and less understood. "It is the punishment given those who do not heed Fate's warnings to leave. You died and yet, there you are. Impossible. Jack is immortal. River, well, her secrets will be revealed in time."

"And you?" Rory asked, a tremor of fear in his voice.

"And me?" The ironic smile returned to her lips. She laid her head against the door. For a moment, Rory thought she might cry, but her words remained strong. "Once upon a time, I was a simple shop girl with no future. Then I met the Doctor. And we _ran._" Pain and longing mixed in her air, casting doubt in Rory's heart in regards to her actions and attitude. Rose was far more than he had anticipated.

"I drank the deepest and shook my fist at fate in defiance," she said as she straightened and started on the lock again. "Now I am privy to mysteries I should never know. I'm sorry, Rory Williams, I truly am, but I know _everything_ about you. And in that knowledge, I beg you." She turned her eyes—suddenly so deep, so old, so like the Doctor's—upon him. "Heed _my_ warning. A day will come when you and Amy are given the same choice offered to all who travel with the Doctor. When that day comes, please, please! I beg you, please. Leave him. He will be fine. You have to leave him when asked." She looked away again, her last words whispered as if only to herself. "Before it destroys you."

Silence fell. Rory watched Rose with a new understanding. Amy had been right. Something had happened, something bad. "It isn't just knowledge, is it?" he asked. "What else did you lose?"

Rose looked up beyond the darkness and ancient tunnels, into her past and further still. A deep, lonesome sigh departed her lips as she said, "Everything."

Not wanting to prolong the discomfort, Rose gave the knob one final turn and pulled the latch. The door opened with a groan. "Alright." She stood up. "Let's see what you are."

A consul of some sort stood bathed in lavender light in the center of the new room. It looked to Rory like a claw in one of those arcade crane game. Rose began studying the mechanics, searching for information. "There's no access pad," she revealed.

Rory stood in the doorway, content to stay back and let her work. Something moved behind him. He turned quickly.

"Are you here yet, Jack?" Static was her answer. Rose tried again. "Jack?" Nothing. "Great. The tech must be jamming the signal." She looked over the strange system, at a loss. The only thing there was a large purple orb. "Don't touch the button, Rose," she said even as she pressed her hand to the glass. Heat rushed up her arm into her brain. Her eyes rolled back as she was pulled into the system. Imaged raced through her mind. She wrenched her hand free, refusing to be pulled in again. Not again.

"Rose!" Rory hurried to her side.

"We need to get back," Rose said. "These tunnels aren't just here. They cover the entire planet."

"Impossible."

"We need to tell the Doctor."

The duo ran to the door.

Black suited aliens were there to greet them.

Rory screamed.

And Rose pulled out her gun.

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"Tell me honestly," Canton was saying as he and Amy studied a rack of alien equipment. "Am I still sitting in that bar?"

"No," Amy said with a grin. "Don't worry. It took me sometime to accept what was happening. Best not think about it. It's easier."

"Help me!"

The cry echoed around them, drawing the three remaining travelers into action. Canton drew his gun, saying, "Come on, Doctor!" as he ran into the darkness.

"Canton, wait!" the Doctor cried, trying to follow.

"Doctor!" Amy grabbed the Doctor's arm. Her stomach churned, disrupting her balance and causing her to stumble.

"Amy!" the Doctor caught her. "Are you alright?"

"Help me!" the girl cried again.

"Doctor, come on!"

"Wait!" Amy begged, stopping the Doctor again. "I have to tell you something!"

"Now?" the Doctor asked. He pulled away from his dear companion, concern for his newest charge driving him into the darkness. Amy followed, one arm wrapped around her midsection. They found Canton on the ground.

"Is he dead?" Amy asked.

The Doctor knelt next to him and checked his vitals. "Unconscious. Got a right conk on the head."

Amy knelt opposite him. "Doctor, I need to tell you something. Something important." She waited until her dear friend—the one who had taken her away from her mundane life and shown her the stars—was focused solely on her. Swallowing, she looked into his eyes, searching for the courage to say the words she scarcely believed. "I'm pregnant."

The Doctor gaped at her, unable to answer.

He did not have to. In that moment, the spaceman appeared.

"The astronaut!" Amy gasped. It was him. He was here. The one who killed the Doctor, _her _ Doctor! Without thinking twice, she was moving.

Somewhere beyond her consciousness, she heard the little girl cry, "Help me!"

"Get down!" Amy screamed as she grabbed Canton's gun.

"What are you doing?" the Doctor demanded in desperate shock.

Amy stood up and swung around, gun held at the ready. "Saving your life!"

"No!" the Doctor cried.

But it was too late. Locking eyes with the terrified little girl trapped in the spacesuit, Amy fired.

**AN:** Review are love.


	6. A Day on the Run

_Unwritten_

By: Jecir

Chapter Six: A Day on the Run

Amy ran. She ran hard. Through the barren, unfamiliar desert landscape of Utah, chased by the black S.U.V.'s favored by all secret government organizations; she ran. She couldn't stop. She would _never_ stop. Not until the plan was complete.

* _"You want us to what?" she asked, breathless, shaken, in the TARDIS, watching the Doctor, confusion and disbelief on her face._

_The Doctor looked up at her, at _all _of them, his face set and his mind made up. "Run." _*

The ground dropped before her, diving into a cliff too steep to climb. Amy struggled to stop, a cry escaping her lips as her toes treaded the edge. Behind her, tires skid to a stop on the loose gravel. Amy straightened, realization sinking in; she knew what was about to happen next. She turned to face her fate. "Canton," she breathed.

Canton did not smile, did not welcome, did not even pretend to know her. His hands were in his pockets, waiting, comfortable with the moment as his men unrolled a black bag at his feet.

The breath caught in Amy's throat. "That's a body bag."

"How 'bout that." Canton's lips twitched in the flash of a smile.

Amy swallowed hard. "Canton, please. Don't do this."

He pulled his gun from underneath his jacket.

"Don't you remember?" Amy asked. "You _have_ to remember! The warehouse?"

* _The warehouse… where Amy stood, frozen in place, before the spaceman who would one day ruin her life. The gun shook in her hands and tears burned in her eyes as she looked upon frightened little girl trapped in the suit. A bullet hole caused cracks to spread in the glass of the visor right above her head. She had missed. _*

Amy closed her eyes.

* _She was so glad she missed._*

Canton fired.

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

Jack pulled River behind him as they ran up the stairs. They could hear Canton's men bursting through the crash door on the bottom flight. They would be here soon.

What a strange twist in fate, Jack thought as he lead Rive into an unfinished part of the building. Construction plastic hung over unfinished walls, sectioning off the open expanse. It was a dead end. He knew that, but he would not give up. Canton would be here soon to arrest them.

River pressed her back to his, breaking him from his thoughts. It was a position that had become instinct in the last three months. They both knew what it meant. Danger.

From the shadows of the night, they came. "I see you," River declared, a tremor of fear underlying her bold words.

"I see you," Jack said, his gun raised even as he knew River's pen was raised, tallying one by one the creatures they saw.

"Doctor Song. Captain Jack." Canton announced his arrival. CIA agents pooled into the room, driving Jack and River to the edge of an open window and a long way down.

Jack moved River behind him, his gun aimed for Canton, the man he had saved not too long ago.

*_ The flash of the transmat blinded them as they arrived in the midst of a panicked escape. He could hear the Doctor begging someone to "look behind you!"_

_Jack blinked rapidly. The spots were fading. _

_Standing right in front of them as an alien the likes of which he had never seen. It was leaning over the FBI agent from the Oval Office. The agent turned slowly, his eyes widening in shock. _

"_Canton…" the creature wheezed. _

_Jack opened fire. The creature shrieked as the bullet tore through its gullet.._*

Canton stood with his hands behind his back, calm and collected. "Lower your weapon, Captain."

"You first," Jack countered.

Canton smirked.

"Canton, listen to us!" River pled from behind him. "The earth is in danger!"

"Oh right," Canton said with a chuckle. "America is invaded."

"America is occupied," River countered.

Canton laughed again. "A delusional assumption of two dangerous criminals. America has never been invaded, and she never will be."

"You're right," Jack said in slow, measured tones. "So why don't you let us leave so we can rectify this little misunderstanding."

The agents were growing restless. Canton knew this. Jack knew this. The chase had been long and hard. Something would break.

Canton made one final move for peace. "Lower your weapon."

"That's not going to happen."

"Jack," River cautioned.

But it was too late. "Suit yourself." Canton turned away, not responsible for what happened next.

His men opened fire.

Bullets ripped into Jack's unguarded flesh. He turned, blood staining his tuxedo, and wrapped his arms around River, a deadly farewell, as the force of the assault sent them both toppling over the edge.

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

Rory stumbled out of the darkness into the blinding Nevada sun. Agents greeted him, pinning him on all side. He was on top of a dam. He had nowhere to run. Raising his arms, he turned to face his fate. "What are you waiting for?" he demanded.

Canton raised an eyebrow behind his sunglasses. "For you to run. It looks better if shot you while you were running."

_* Running. That's what he was doing. Rose had told him to run. He did not look back. He couldn't. Gunfire echoed through the tunnels behind him. Still, he ran. He did not know from what or why, but he knew he had to keep going. The ladder appeared. He scrambled up as fast as he could. "Rose, come on!" he yelled, desperately hoping beyond hope that she was behind him. *_

"Then again," Canton raised his gun.

Rory closed his eyes.

"Looks aren't everything." He fired.

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

Deep in the Nevada desert, away from the American people, was the center of all American conspiracy: Area 51. Within its walls were the deepest secrets contained by the American government. Everything they had ever learned about the hostile alien races living in outer space was held here. And, deep within the compound, held at its very center, was the most dangerous alien of all.

The Doctor stared at the prison walls, marveling despite himself. The prison was constructed out of the densest alloy in the universe. Government facilities really were the best. Only 1969, yet they already had such powerful materials at their disposal. They had built him what they thought to be the perfect prison. He saw it as the perfect place to think. And, oh, how he thought. Three months chained to a chair, not bothered by the mysteries of the universe or the pull to travel into its greatest dangers. No. For three whole human months, he had sat in one place, and he had thought.

Canton walked in, four soldiers following, each pair carrying a body bag.

The Doctor turned away from the wall. "Why are you doing this, Canton?"

The ex-FBI agent eyed the Doctor over. "To show you what you're up against."

The Doctor knew what he was up against. He had had three months to figure that out.

"…not even a speck of dust can get through here," Canton was saying as he closed the cell door. He paused for just a moment, then his façade dropped and their true ally appeared. "Then I guess they can't hear us."

"Good work, Canton." Three months of sitting were over. It was time for action. The Doctor stood, the chains and straitjacket—a straitjacket? Really? Who did they think taught Houdini how to escape one of these bad boys?— falling to the floor. He stretched and rolled his shoulders before helping Canton free Amy and Rory from the body bags.

"These things could _really_ do with some air holes!" Rory gasped.

Canton shrugged. "I've never had a complaint before."

"Come along, Ponds!" The Doctor leaned back into supposed thin air. His shoulder hit first, stopping, and the Doctor grinned. He snapped his fingers; the TARDIS doors swung open, and the quartet hurried inside.

Rose stood at the consul. "Faze one, complete," she reported.

"Rose!" Canton cried. "Um, I mean, Commander Tyler. Have you been here the entire time?"

Rose's scowl was answer enough.

"No time for that," the Doctor butted in. "We are still missing two humans, and I, for one, do not like that."

"But Doctor," Canton said as he joined the freed time traveler at the TARDIS controls. "My men _shot_ Jack. They fell off the fiftieth floor."

"Yes, I know," the Doctor frowned. "He likes that. Rose, set the course. Amy, Rory, open all the doors to the pool. Let's go get them."

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

River clung to Jack as the cold night air whipped past them. She threw her weight back, turning their free fall into a dive. The TARDIS materialized just below. She grinned and closed her eyes, feeling the change in the air as they went from New York night to comforting TARDIS to the closed-in corridors. "Hold your breath, sweetie."

A loud SPLASH echoed throughout the ship.

Jack broke the surface of the Olympic-sized pool with a grateful gasp. "Well," he sputtered as River broke surface a foot away. "That was easy."

"Indeed." She pushed her falling curls out of her face. "But really, sweetie, must you always get shot?"

"Then it wouldn't be as much fun," Jack charmed with a smile.

River splashed him. Jack laughed and splashed back. The fight would have continued if not for the irritated "Ahem!" that came from a storm-cloud-aired Rose Tyler, who stood at the edge of the pool tapping her boot impatiently with two towels in hand. "If you two are through."

Jack frowned. "Spoil sport."

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"How?" Canton was staring at Jack like he had seen a ghost.

"Hello to you to, Canton," Jack greeted. He had stopped off to change out of his ruined Tuxedo, opting for his familiar world war two fatigues. River was out of her cocktail dress and into her own battle gear, and stood beside him, towel drying her hair.

"But, we shot you."

"Yeah, thanks for that." Jack tossed his towel over the rallying and trumped up to the consul.

"We shot him," Canton repeated, turning to Rory for an answer. "He got shot."

"He's, uh, immortal." Rory shrugged.

"Of course he is," Canton accepted.

"On subject!" the Doctor said, drawing them all back to the moment. "Three months on the run. What did you find out?"

"America is occupied," Jack growled, his arms folded and his brow furrowed. He was a descendent of the America people and had grown up hearing stories of its history—how it stood its ground against tyranny, breeding from the beginning a race of humans who fought first and asked questions later and who never backed down when those they loved were threatened. A bullheaded race, yes, but a noble one at its core. And he would be damned before he saw his ancestry captive.

"Not just America," River said softly. She placed a hand on Jack's arm, drawing his eyes. Something passed between them, something secret; then, Jack dropped his arms, allowing her to take his hand and squeezing it in reassurance. Satisfied, River turned back to the group and finished gravely, "The entire world in under this race's control. And nobody knows because as soon as we look away, we forget."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" Canton asked. "It would have stopped me from chasing you."

"You had to chase us," the Doctor said. "We needed to convince them that you were still their tool. As long as they thought I was out of the way, they would continue their work, giving us the time we needed to figure out exactly what it was they are up to." The Doctor pulled a lever. The TARDIS landed with a tremor. "And, for the record, I did tell you, but information about them erases itself from your mind after time, so I could not remind you because I forgot as well. But that doesn't matter. None of it matters, because…" He ran to the door and threw it open with a flare. "We have a weapon! Rose, stay in the TARDIS."

Rose frowned but stepped back, allowing the others to follow the Doctor outside. They found themselves standing in a green field looking upon a sight that would become an iconic image in American history. Apollo 11 in all its glory, supported by the launch tower, waiting for its moment to shine.

"Apollo 11?" River asked. "That's your weapon?"

"Of course not," the Doctor said. "That would be ridiculous. No. We have Neil Armstrong's foot."

**AN: **And here we go again. Thank you all for the continuous reviews. They make me smile. I am giving fair warning now: my plans for "A Day on the Moon" have had to shift considerably. I went back to re-watch the episode, refresh it in my mind, and solidify what I thought were the most important moments to highlight and rewrite when I hit a few speed bumps; one them being the three months that pass after "The Impossible Astronaut." I am reworking the story as we speak but updates will not be as close together as they were for the first half. And, I will be out of town from the 17th to the 23rd, so I will not be writing during that time. However, if I can get the story in line, I will attempt to complete this before I leave for vacation. That is my intention. Please do not flame me if it does not happen. Reviews drive me to work harder! Thank you.


	7. A Day of Searching

_Unwritten_

By: Jecir

Chapter Seven: A Day of Searching

"I still do not understand," Canton said. "If they've been here for so long, there is no possible way they remained hidden."

"They didn't have to," River said.

"What do you mean?"

"Because they make you forget," Rory picked up, glancing at River and then up at the Doctor. The mad man with the blue box was tinkering with something—a gun-thing. In understanding the Doctor's distinctive dislike of guns, Rory knew it was not a weapon. He preferred not to know what it was, actually, if it was something the Doctor owned. "It's like they edit themselves out of your memory the moment you look away. Made it impossible to gather information. Ow!" Rory jerked his hand away from the Doctor and his gun.

The Doctor grinned and skipped away to do the same thing to Amy. He took her hand, pressed the gun-thing to it, and fired. Amy winced.

"Are you alright?" the Doctor asked in a conspiratorial whisper.

A significant pause passed between them before she answered," All better. Turns out, I was wrong. I'm not pregnant."

The Doctor frowned but did not press the issue. He moved on to Jack and River.

Amy looked down at the mark leftover from the shot, a strange longing filling her. She was not pregnant. That was a good thing. Right? She swallowed back the rush of pain and turned to the conversation at hand. "We had to mark our skin whenever we saw them, or else we would never know that we had an encounter."

"Once they were done with a region, they reported the total of marks to me, here, in the TARDIS." Rose said from the consul.

"For three month?" Canton questioned.

Rose shot scathing look at the Doctor's back, which he promptly ignored. "Yes." She pulled up the findings and turned the scanner to show the others the results. A map of the world rolled out on the screen; red dots covered all the locations of encounters. Florida was nearly coated in red dots. "As you can see, there is a higher concentration here."

Canton stared at the map, his mouth agape and his eyes wide, disbelief evident in his every feature. "That's…that's impossible," he gasped, walking to the screen as if the dots would diminish the closer he stood. Words came in short stutters as he tried to comprehend the truth: his world was conquered. "To cover this much…in such a force…how long?"

"We don't know," Jack confessed; his focus on his hand. He rubbed his thumb over the tiny cut, feeling the device buried beneath.

"Guess," Canton snapped as he turned to face the people who had brought this plague to light. Anger stirred in his gut. He wanted answers; what's more, he wanted revenge. This was _his_ home. No alien species had the right to take it. Not one.

"As long as there has been something in the corner of your eye," the Doctor said, his brooding melancholy cutting through Canton's anger and demanding the attention of the room. He was speaking; to listen was life; to ignore was death. All eyes were on him, waiting for the answer. "Or a creaking in the hall or breathing under your bed or voices in the next room. They've been running your lives for a _very_ long time. So keep this straight: we are not fighting an alien invasion. We are leading a revolution." The Doctor faced Canton now, directly, eye to eye; here, he spoke his promise. "And today, the battle begins."

"How?" the helpless agent asked.

The Doctor smirked his classic "I've already won" smirk and leaned forward, whispering, "Nightmares." He grabbed Canton's hand and injected it with, "Nano recorders!" He held the gun up, breaking the solemn atmosphere with a needed injection of cleverness. "Fuses with the cartilage in your hand and tunes itself directly with the speech center in your brain. It can pick up your voice no matter what." He glanced at Rose. "Telepathic connection."

He turned back to the room. "So, the moment you see one of the creatures, you activate it." He lifted his hand and demonstrated the process of activation. A red light began to blink beneath his skin. "And describe aloud exactly what you are seeing. Because the moment you break contact, you're going to forget it happened." He pressed his palm and out of his hand flowed his words: _"...you're going to forget it happened."_

"The light will flash if you've left yourself a message. Keep checking your hand. If you've had an encounter, that's the first you'll know about it." Now that his speech was finished, the Doctor turned to tinker with the TARDIS. He pulled a lever here, a lever there, and finished with a flourish, turning back in time for Canton to straighten his bowtie.

The room fell into a dreadful silence.

"What?" Canton asked, confused by the shift of attention.

"Look at your hand," River instructed carefully, as if speaking to a startled animal.

Canton looked down. His hand was flashing. Panic surged through his mind. The Doctor's voice soothed the fear; he instructed Canton on what to do next. Closing his eyes, Canton pressed the button that would remind him of what he had missed.

The Doctor's voice echoed through the room. _"Look behind you, Canton. And when you turn back, I want you to straighten my bowtie."_

"_Why?"_ came Canton's amused reply. _"What am I supposed to see?"_

As Canton listened, he slowly turned around. The fear spiked at what he saw. "Doctor, they're he—" He turned back, bent on warning the others that their safe haven had been breached, but the moment me broke eye contact, he could not remember what it was that had caused him fear.

The Doctor took a deep breath, as if having anticipated what had happened and knew what was next. "We all just saw a hologram of the creatures we are fighting. I extrapolated it from the picture on Amy's phone. Now, describe it to me."

Every member of the time traveling team gaped in confusion and groped for words. All but one.

"Tall alien race reminiscent of old cartoon of the little green men," Rose said. "Except these are not little and they are not green. More of a tan. Easily over six foot, sunken eyes, no mouth." Commander Tyler raised an eyebrow in challenge and crossed her arms as she finished. "And they wear black suits." She deactivated the hologram. "Really, Doctor?"

The Doctor crossed the distance between them, taking the few seconds of recovery time needed by lesser minds to have a quick, necessary conversation with Commander Tyler.

"I can remember them, yet you _locked_ me in the TARDIS for three months," she hissed as he took her hand.

"That's why I left you here, Rose." He injected the nano recorder. "The TARDIS is the only place they cannot infiltrate."

"I could have helped."

For the first time in a long time, the Doctor looked directly into her eyes. "You could have died." He turned away, conversation finished.

Rose forced him back around. "I'm a _soldier_, Doctor," she said. She looked past him at Amy and Rory. "_They_ are civilians." The plea in her voice was not missed.

The Doctor pulled away. His decision was final. "The reason Canton straightened my bowtie was because I planted the idea in his mind while he was looking at the Creature. That's what they do; plant ideas in your head, making you forget them, kind of like post hypnotic suggestion."

"That means we could do anything they wanted without realizing it," Jack concluded.

"Exactly, but!" The Doctor was back at the TARDIS consul, typing furious. "We'll have to deal with that one later. First off and more importantly is the little girl. Little girl in a space suit from NASA. Where did they get her and why? Now, they would keep near the warehouse, why do anything else? And they would have taken her from a place that would cause the least tension. Amy, Canton, that will be your task. Find out from where they took her. Jack and I are off to NASA. River, Rory." He looked up at them, feeling Rose's eyes on him the whole time. "Keep Rose here." He finished typing and then pulled a lever, sending them off again.

"Wait," Amy interjected. "Where are we supposed to look?"

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"Greystark Hall, Children's Home," Amy read as they pulled through the gothic gate. "Which one is this?"

"Fifth on the list," Canton said.

"Is it odd that there are so many children's homes so near the warehouse?"

"Not at all." Canton pulled the car to a stop in front of the home. "There were several orphans after the war. Orphans homes sprang up everywhere."

"Right," Amy conceded. "And these creatures could not possible make it easy on us."

"Of course not," Canton replied with a smile. The lightened mood was appreciated and savored for the small time it lived. Then, the solemnity of their mission settled upon their shoulders once more. Canton looked down at his hand. "Clear."

"Clear." Amy flashed hers.

They exited the car into the pouring rain to continue their search for the mysterious little girl.

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

The atmosphere in the TARDIS was, for a word, tense. Rory had never been on guard duty—well, not in _this_ life, anyway. He did not know what to do. River and Rose seemed strangely comfortable at the moment. They would, being them. River was doing something with the TARDIS. She had explained it to him, but he had lost focus after the third big word that he was certain was not English or any earth language at that and had decided to leave her to her work. Rose, on the other hand, sat on the stairs, watching the door, her gun hanging limp in her hands. She looked a lot like a tiger he had seen at the zoo; appearing docile, all the while waiting for the right moment to escape. This was not an ideal situation.

"You should rest, Centurion."

Rory startled a bit at the title. He was still not used to being called that, but Rose insisted, in her own way. Said it was good to remember. Might come in handy. Something like that. He heaved a sigh, ran a hand through his hair, and opted to rest while keeping to his duty by joining the captive on the stairs.

An awkward silence followed. Though he had stopped mistrusting her, he remained uncomfortable in her presence. Their conversation in the warehouse had been the only moment of real he had gotten from her. For the rest of the time, including now, she was aloof at best, resistant at worst. He had only seen her in brief intervals over the last three months; their interaction was limited to how many marking, where he had been, and where he was going. Not the best conversation starter now that the action was at a lull. Still, for the sake of his own sanity, he would try.

"So," he began, and, like any other conversation beginning with "so," he could not think of what next to say. "Uh…yeah, three months in the TARDIS."

"Yep." Rose popped the "p."

"The whole time?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Rory nodded. "How was that?"

Rose laughed. Still a rare thing, but it was more light hearted then the last time she laughed, which Rory saw as a good sign. "You're trying very hard, aren't you, Centurion?"

Rory hung his head, knowing he had been caught. "Yeah." He took a moment to regain his thoughts. "We were told to watch you. You're not a prisoner. It doesn't need to feel like prison."

Rose leaned her head back and closed her eyes, breathing deep the warm air. For a moment, her cool exterior melted and the ghost of a smile actually alighted her lips. Rory was taken aback by the action. A glimpse at Rose Tyler, not Commander Tyler; that was definitely a good sign. She exhaled slowly. "No, this is nothing like prison." The smile lingered. "Once upon a time, I would have begged for three months alone with this wonderful machine." She let the thought simmer; then, it was gone. She shook her head and lounged back against the stairs. "But, to answer your question, it was fine."

"Oh, good." A feeling of camaraderie was being developed, he was almost certain; much like the interaction he had had with his fellow Romans—how had she put it?—once upon a time. Now it was his turn to shake his head. He wanted that door shut forever. However, in this moment, he would take his cue and press his luck just a bit. "How did you do…that?" He pointed to the empty space where the hologram had been. "Remember what they look like?"

Rose did not bother to look where he was pointing. She swung her gun up into her hand, like a sharpshooter anxious for a gunfight. "Do you remember our little chat in the tunnels?"

How could he forget? Through all the memory tampering, that conversation remained burned in his mind.

Rose tapped her temple. "I remember _everything_." She rolled her head back and sighed again, restless, frustrated, bored.

"Yeah, but," He tried to understand. "They affect everyone, including the Doctor."

"Be quiet, Rory," Rose whispered.

"I just want to know—" Rose grabbed his arm, _hard_. Her grip forced him into silence even before her command to "Be quiet!" cut through the air. Rory looked back in shock and then concern. Rose was rigid, her eyes open wide, staring into nothing and yet seeing _something_. Something that caused Rory to grow nervous.

The spell ended.

Rose sat up, fear in her eyes and in her voice as she said, "Amy!"

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"I'm not going to tell you, Doctor." Jack leaned against the doorway, keeping an eye out for NASA security, while the Doctor tinkered with Apollo 11. Just another day of time traveling adventures.

"You're the only other one who knows," the Doctor complained from the space pod.

Jack grinned to himself, enjoying this more than he could say. No matter how much timed had passed, nothing truly changed. The Doctor and Rose were still both the biggest idiots he had ever met. "If you want to know so badly, you should ask her."

"Rose seems to have forgotten how to give me a straight answer." Something sparked. The Doctor cursed. And then something metallic dropped with a loud _clang_.

Jack groaned. If NASA security did not already know they were there, they'd know soon enough with all that noise. "She learned from the best."

"I'm always very straight with my answers!" the Doctor protested.

"Sure, you are," Jack muttered. "Look, I know she seems a bit intimidating what with her gun and all, but she stills _our_ Rose. You just need to look."

"Our Rose would answer me," the Doctor grumbled. "And I'm not intimidated by her gun. I've seen her use bigger."

"Really?" The certainty in the Doctor's voice caused Jack to challenge the statement. Throughout their recent travels together, Jack had only seen Rose use one gun: the one she kept on her hip at all times. And he was certain they had not encountered the Doctor. He turned around to directly address the eccentric magician. "When?"

"Davros," the Doctor said.

"Davros and the Medusa Cascade?" Jack asked.

"Yeah," the Doctor said. "That gun was _much_ bigger."

Jack chuckled. "Nine hundred years old. Your memory's slipping, old man."

"Old man!" The Doctor sat up in a huff of indignation. "I'll have you know my memory is perfectly fine, and who are you to talk? You're not that much farther behind me." The Doctor went back to his work. "_Old man_, really."

"I'm _four hundred_ years behind you, grandpa. And I'd get that perfectly fine memory checked, because Rose wasn't at the Medusa Cascade."

"Yes, she was," the Doctor said. "Stolen earth. Rose crossing dimensions. I got shot by a Dalek. Not something one forgets."

"Mickey _shot_ the Dalek."

"No, he didn't," the Doctor corrected, sitting up. "What are you talking about?"

"What are _you_ talking about?" Jack asked, the confusion beginning to enter his voice.

Something shifted in the Doctor's eyes. His voice leveled into thought as he said, "You first."

"You're right about crossing dimensions," Jack said. He checked the hallway. It was still empty. It was more of an excuse to avoid the Doctor's probing stare. It was strange. How could they have two different memories of what happened that day? It didn't make sense, but nothing ever did with the Doctor. "Mickey was the one who came through into the war with Davros, not Rose. She was dumped out in London years later."

"How?" the Doctor questioned. It was not a question meant to be answered.

But Jack gave his two cents regardless. "The cracks in the universe," he said. "Rose came through after Mickey. Then, the cracks sealed."

The Doctor sat back in the space pod, a deep sinking sensation filling his heart. He ran a hand over his face as pieces fell into place, forming a picture he had never wanted to see. _No._

The communicator in the vortex manipulator crackled to life. _"Jack, you and the Doctor need to get back here, now!" _

Jack stepped into the empty corridor, leaving the Doctor to his work. Wind howled through the open walkway, reminding Jack just how high they were. "What's wrong?"

_"Amy's in trouble!"_

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

Canton was getting anxious. He was in the belly of the beast, he was certain. The writing on the walls, the jittery caretaker, and the fact that Greystark Hall had closed two years ago all came to one conclusion: this was the place. Meaning, those creatures were here somewhere. And Amy was alone. He needed to go find her. "This place has been abandoned for years," he said, his training taking over, allowing his words to come across as calm and steady. "What are you still doing here?"

Dr. Ranford, a short, balding southern gentlemen with vacant eyes, sat at his desk, searching through the records like a puppet on a string. "The child," he drawled. "She must be cared for. It's important. That's what they said."

Fear crept up the back of Canton's neck. He forced it down. "Who said that?"

The office door creaked.

Canton squared his shoulders, ready. This was it.

A gunshot shattered the silence. The door flew open as one of those creatures stumbled forward. It fell to its knees, a wheezing screech reverberating through the air as it clutched its midsection. Canton looked up in shock.

Rose stood in the doorway, gun in her hands and a dark fury like none he had ever seen in her eyes. She kicked the creature in the back, right where her bullet had pieced it, and commanded, "What have you done with Amy?"

**AN: ** It is all coming together. If everything goes according to plan, I will have this done before I leave next week. Reviews are love!


	8. A Day of Plans

_Unwritten_

By: Jecir

Chapter Eight: A Day of Plans

_"It's so dark."_ Amy's voice cracked over the psychic link, a small sob chocking her words. Rory cradled the nano recorder in his hands, his heart aching as he listened to her pleas. Amy, his beautiful Amy, was in danger, and he couldn't save her.

It was a horrid feeling—uselessness. It was what they all felt. Ever since they had slinked back from the orphanage to regroup, none of them had had the energy or presence of mind to battle this feeling that blanketed the air. River and Jack were trying to make progress by studying the spacesuit found where Amy should have been. Rory bit back a fresh wave of pain as his mind played back _that_ moment.

He, River, and Rose had stormed the gothic mansion, racing up flights of stairs, following Rose's mysterious insight. When she said turn, they turned; when she said faster, they picked up the pace. Amy's scream echoed down the hall; her beacon drawing them to her rescue.

He had reached the door first. "It's locked!" he cried.

River and Rose both drew their guns. Rory ducked back in time for a duel round to blow the lock. The door flew open, revealing…

…nothing. It was a room; a basic room with a bed and a dresser and pictures everywhere of an unfamiliar little girl. But no Amy.

"Where is she?" he demanded, turning in circles, searching the room for any hint, any sign, any_thing_ that would tell him what had happened.

Then it came. The sign. The hint.

The truth—in the form of a leftover nano recorder blinking on the floor.

"_Rory!"_

He froze at the fear in her voice.

A sob came next, followed by her desperate pleas. _"Rory! Doctor! Help! I can't see! It's so dark…I don't know where I am! Rory!"_

He knelt down and picked up the small device, disbelief in his eyes. "Amy." He looked to Rose, the one who knew all things, for answers. "Where is she? What have they done to her?"

Rose had not spoken. She did not need to. She simply turned and left the room in search of the creatures they all knew were responsible.

"_I love you."_

Rory came back to the moment.

"_I know you think it's him. I know you think it ought to be him, but it's not._" Rory's heart clenched. What was she saying?_ "It's you and when I see you again, I'm going to tell you properly just to see the look on your stupid face. My life was so boring before you just dropped out of the sky." _The last Centurion pressed his head back against the crates he was sitting behind, his eyes closing to hide the pain from the world. _ "Just get your stupid face where I can see it, ok?"_

_I'll bring him, Amy,_ he vowed silently, his heart breaking. _I'll bring the one you love to save you, I promise._

"How you holding up, soldier?" Jack was leaning against the crate stack, arms crossed, aged eyes reflecting his sympathy and concern.

A rush of resentment welled up inside the young nurse. "Stop calling me that," he growled, turning away from the old man. He and Rose both; why were they doing this to him? What did they expect? He wasn't a soldier! He was Rory the _nurse_. Just Rory. He was nothing special. He could not fire a gun or figure out alien technology or survive being shot over and over again. He couldn't even protect his wife from alien conquerors. He was losing everything; he would at least keep his identity. "I'm not a soldier. Not anymore. Not ever."

"Hn. You know," Jack sat next to the brooding young man. "I was a soldier once. World War Two."

"Really." Rory was not interested in listening to any 'back in my day' stories. Not from one of the more useful members of this group. He really just wanted to be left alone.

But Jack did not seem to know that; and if he did, he ignored it. "Yeah, and long before that and long after. I've lived for centuries, fighting countless wars, burying so many—friends, lovers, even a few spouses. Through all that time, I've learned one very important thing."

"And what is that?" Rory asked, the sarcasm evident in his voice. Why wouldn't Jack leave him alone?

"You never truly stop being a soldier." He reached across and tapped the nano recorder. "_Especially_ when the one you love most is in danger."

Rory dropped his head to his chest, a fresh wave of pain stirring. "I can't help her, Jack. I'm not like you all. I…" Rory looked up at the old soldier, frustration, loss, and desperation in his young yet not so young eyes. It was a look Jack knew all too well. The look of a boy on the crux of the transformation that could make him great or burn his soul. It was the transformation of one who had the power to change the universe. Jack had seen it before reflected in the haunted brown eyes of his oldest and dearest friend. "I don't know what to do."

Jack squeezed Rory's shoulder; an act of respect and understanding; a sign of acceptance and encouragement; and met the struggling man's eyes. "You wait and you trust."

"Trust?" Rory asked as he looked back down at the nano recorder. "I don't think I want to trust him anymore if this is the result. Rose said that, eventually, all who travel with the Doctor change. That they lose something precious as punishment for staying with him. If that's true—" He didn't say it. He _couldn't_. The thought was too much for him to bear. He was losing Amy's heart to the Doctor, he knew that—and if it made her happy, he would let her go—but if the price was her life?

"Trust me," was Jack's answer. "Trust River. Trust this team. Yes, there is a price to pay when we stand our ground against the evils in this universe, but we always survive, we _always_ win when we are together. The Doctor has a plan. We _will_ save her. We will win. And we'll all come back together. But you need to be ready when the time comes to fight for her. Am I understood, soldier?"

There it was. That feeling again. A rise of courage and confidence that came with holding a sword in his hand and trusting the men on his right and his left; the feeling of victory promised on a battlefield yet to be seen; it was this feeling that caused Rory to sit up a little straighter, to look Jack in the eye, and to say with certainty, "Aye, Captain."

He would fight to get Amy back. And, for the first time, he felt he would win.

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"Mary, Mother of God." Doctor Shepherd stared in shock and a bit of disgust at the wounded creature lying on the prison floor. It watched him with large, sunken black eyes nearly hidden in the shadows cast over its face. "What is that?"

Canton stood back, his hands in his pockets, his eyes never leaving the creature for even a second. "It's an alien, Dr. Shepherd."

"We need to tell Colonel Jefferson immediately!" Dr. Shepherd said, still unable to believe what he was seeing. "Someone has been treating it. Was it wounded?"

"You've been treating it," Canton said; though, had he had his way, he would have let the thing die. Canton still could not comprehend the Doctor's mercy. Not after what that thing had done—to his friends, his home, or to Rose.

Rose had had it pinned, her pistol to the back of its head, demanding to know where they had taken Amy when the Doctor had arrived. Rose had looked away for only a moment. A moment was all that thing had needed. It twisted, throwing her off balance, and grabbed her exposed hand.

"No!" the Doctor cried.

But it was too late. She was in its grasp; her eyes rolled back, her body rigid, and her lips parted in a silent scream.

"Let her go!" the Doctor demanded.

"The Bad Wolf must die," it wheezed.

Those words echoed in his mind even now. He did not know what they meant, but the Doctor had. The panic that flashed through his eyes told Canton everything he had needed to know. That was when he had shot it. Again. And again, just for good measure. The creature slumped to the office floor; Rose was caught by the Doctor and lowered safely to the ground.

Jack arrived with River and a pale Rory a moment later. Canton eyed the group over, noticing immediately what was missing.

Amy and Rose; they were both hurt by these creatures—the Silence. That is what it had called itself when the Doctor asked. A fitting name of a race that hid in the shadows directing the movements of humanity without leaving even a whisper of their presence behind.

They had retreated to the TARDIS with the creature and an empty spacesuit and so many unanswered questions.

Now, he was here, fulfilling his orders. First, treat the creature. That was done.

Doctor Shepherd looked up at Canton in confusion. "I've been doing what?"

"Exactly, Canton replied.

Doctor Shepherd frowned. The creature had struck again. The old army medic stood up with his medical bag and put his hat on his balding head, his voice rasping out gruffly, "Agent Delaware, next time think before you call me down here for no reason." He marched out, intent on reporting this waste of his time to the higher ups.

Canton was not concerned about any disciplinary actions that would come his way for this. He had more important things to worry about. He pulled something from his pocket, the instructions on how to work it still ringing true yet unclear in his mind. He pressed the proper sequence of buttons and waited.

The Silence watched him warily. "You treat my wounds?" it rattled. "You are foolish."

"Why?" Canton asked, pressing another button. He could see the Silence on the screen now. "What would you do in my place?" Final step, press the red button and hold device steady. Done.

"We have ruled your planet since the fire and the wheel," it said in a weak attempt to boast. "You should kill us all on sight, but you will never remember we were even here. Your will is ours."

"Yeah, well," Canton said with a shrug, hitting the red button for a second time. He had gotten what he needed. "Sorry to disappoint you. But thanks. That's exactly what I needed to hear. This is a video phone. Whatever a video phone is." He grinned. Step two, complete. Now for the final phase. He set to work on the last set of sequences that would send the video to the Doctor.

Soon. Very soon now.

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"This is an exoskeleton," River said as she moved her scanner over the empty suit. "Basically, life support. Rose was right. There are so many different kinds of technology here; at least twenty races. That would prove impossible to get so many different systems to sync, but look at it! It's almost artistic."

"Organizations have a knack for things like that," Jack said, distracted. He glanced at the far end of the room for the hundredth time that day.

River pretended not to notice. He was worried. She would let him be for now. "Anyone wearing this would not need to eat. The suit processes sunlight directly, has a weapons system, and look." She lifted one of the gloves. When they first retrieved it, there had been a large hole in the palm. Now, it was completely sealed. "It's repairing itself. How is it doing that?"

Jack did not take the bait. She frowned. He always enjoyed dissecting technology with her. Well, he _would_, one day; was it futile to hope they could indulge just a little bit right now?

She looked down at her scanner. "The communication system can hack into anything. Ah! Well, isn't that interesting." She turned it to show him. "It defaults to the highest authority it can find. That explains why she called the president. Whenever she got frightened, it called the White House."

"The White house is not so impregnable. I flashed in to get Nixon after the Doctor got himself arrested by NASA security."

"Really?" River smiled. "That must have been exciting."

Jack leaned against the table, his brow furrowed and his eyes cast once more into the darkness that hid the TARDIS. "Delays are never exciting."

River came around to his side and took his hand, a gesture learned from watching those who influenced her world the most. Whenever there was pain, there were hands to hold. She held his in both of hers, winning his gaze—it was a prize she cherished most for she so loved his eyes. The warmth and strength of his grip empowered her to stand as his equal; to speak with the authority of one who knew his heart almost better than he. Drinking in her prize, ensuring his full attention, she said with absolute certainty, "They are going to be alright."

"How do you know?" he whispered.

River smiled. "The Doctor and I meet in reverse. His future is my past." She squeezed his hand in reassurance. "I _remember_ Rose Tyler."

The truth of her words penetrated the worry in his heart, and, with a deep sigh, the tension left his countenance. Jack nodded, ready to move forward. "Alright. So, we have a child."

"Definitely human, according to the life support software," River informed him as she moved back to her position on the other side of the table, her scanner taking new readings as the energy in the room heated with intent to action.

"Raised by the Silence. And now, she's missing."

"Escaped," River said. "Take a look at this." She pointed to the edges of the hole torn down the center of the suit. "She ripped her way out of this suit."

"Strong girl," Jack mused. "A strong little human girl on the run from the Silence and their spacesuit lost on the streets of 1969." A familiar silence spread across his lips. "I like this girl."

River ducked her head to hid the reactionary biting of her lower lip. "Think we'll find her?" she asked by way of changing the subject.

Jack looked back at the TARDIS, the worry threatening to simmer again. "We need to find Amy first."

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"You were supposed to stay in the TARDIS," the Doctor said.

Rose sat in the Captain's chair, watching the door, trying to avoid his penetrating eyes. He was angry with her. She had known that the moment she awoke in the medical bay, his worried face hovering over her and the buzz of the sonic screw driver ringing in her ears. He had stepped back, his eyes impassive, a dark cloud over his countenance. She had asked what had happened.

"Exactly what I thought," he said in a clipped tone. "The Silence took advantage of your open psyche, diving deep into your memories, and attempting to kill you." He had turned away then, as if unable to look at her. The distance should have assured her that her heart was safe; it had not. He slumped into a chair, his head in his hands, and asked, "Why didn't you listen to me?"

She tried to think of an answer but, in the face of his distress, every excuse sounded hollow. She knew why she hadn't listened. So did he.

That was the beginning. He had left the room, leaving her to her thoughts, and he had not spoken again until now. In the time between then and now, he had stalked the corridors, staying near, ever watchful, making sure she did not leave. She tried to stay out of his way, but wherever she went, he was there, his disappointment evident in every moment. It was killing her.

She tried to deny it; tried to keep up the front that she was fine without him. He had moved on; so had she. Or so she thought. Seeing him again, alive in the café, after having to swallow his death, it reminded her of the hopes and the dreams she had buried all those years ago on the worst day of her life—a day that made losing him in Torchwood Tower feel like Christmas. At least then, on that day, she had seen his face. But on this day, the worst, she had only seen tears; her tears falling one final time down her taunt face as she realized the inevitable. The walls would never fall. The dimension canon would never work. She was trapped forever away from him.

And he had inevitably moved on.

Now, here she was, sitting in an unfamiliar TARDIS that still sang to her heart, calling to her to fall into that golden embrace that would protect her from the threats of a universe that had already shown her its scorn.

And there he was, the Doctor, _her_ Doctor, watching her with dark eyes simmering in anger, demanding to know why she had not listened to him. Swallowing her fears, she did not look at him—she couldn't; she did not have the strength—as she spoke her first truth. "Amy was in trouble."

"You should have waited for me."

"There was no time." No time. There was never enough time. Yet, looking at them, she knew, there had been too much. Too much time. And so much had changed.

"That would not have mattered," the Doctor said. He stood at the consul, his hands clenching into fists, a struggle playing out on his face between worry and anger, the need to yell and the need to heal. "It never mattered before. You always knew I would be there. You should have waited for me."

"And what? Risk Amy's life?"

"Her life is already at risk!" he snapped. "You did nothing save put yourself in their hands, Rose, do you not understand that? I kept you in the TARDIS because I knew this would happen! Your mind is the most susceptible to their influence! You remember them, yes, but they…they!"

_"The Bad Wolf must die."_ Those words rang like a death toll in his mind, laughing at him as he saw the pain on her face. She did not know how close she had come to dying. It was a reality he refused to face. He had run from it. At Torchwood Tower. Bad Wolf Bay. Every single moment he spent with her, he had run from that truth. Now, it was looming over them, and the only thing he could do to protect her had backfired. His Rose Tyler would never be tamed. The heat left his voice as he said, "The untempered power of the cracks supercharged what little of the vortex remained in your system, granting you high-level physic abilities that you can't control. Your mind is an open book to even the most mediocre higher race, much less a species that thrives on memory tampering."

"I couldn't let them take her," Rose whispered. In the silence, it was a declaration, a confession, and a truth that she would never deny.

"I know," the Doctor said, a small smile tugging at his lips. "But, you could have trusted _me_ to save her."

There was that word. Rose closed her eyes against the pain of that word. Trust him. _Trust_ _him_.

His presence burned against her skin. He was a fire she could never ignore, burning across time and space, purifying those who allowed themselves to be touched and incinerating those who resisted. She had fallen into his fire, and it had warmed her to the core. Then it had been ripped away. She was so cold, but…She looked up at him, feeling the mantel of commander fall over her eyes—her only defense against the power of his mind; a mind he would never use against her—and knowing the unspoken truth. She was too afraid to allow herself to be warm again.

"It has been three months, Rose," he said as he knelt down in front of her, a position of humility, of honesty, of faith in what they had once been, yet, he did not reach for her hand. He simply looked up into those eyes that remained shielded and asked, "Will you not trust me again?"

**AN**: Deep breath. Exhale. You do not know how much I have stressed over that scene. I am so happy with it. One more chapter. Be on the look out for it. Unwritten concludes this Wednesday.


	9. A Day of Victory

_Unwritten_

By: Jecir

Chapter Nine: A Day of Victory

Amy felt like she was dreaming. This had to be a dream. Everything was fuzzy. Her memories; her awareness of the world; even the sound of her own voice—it was all wrong. She felt warm and comfortable lying in the darkness; she was stiff and cold, strapped to a metal harness. She was dreaming of Rory and the Doctor and of all their adventures together; she was staring down the creatures who stole her from the orphanage. It all blurred together in her mind; nothing made sense and yet it all made perfect sense.

They had taken her from the girl's room—the girl in the space suit, trapped and scared, her face forever captured in stages of growth in photographs, so many photographs, decorating the sparse room. And there had been one of her. Was that part of the dream? Did she dream that she had had a child? _No_, she remembered through the heat and the haze, _I'm not pregnant._

But, the girl had Rory's eyes…

"Amelia Pond." They were calling her. The heat disappeared into cold. The comfort hardened into steel and bondage. And the haze snapped into crisp clarity. She was trapped, alone, with those _things_. Yet, fear did not win, for she knew they were coming. The Doctor, River, Rose, Jack, and _her_ _husband_ were coming to save her. She grinned in the face of her captors. _Come on, then,_ she taunted with her eyes. _Because you are about to die._

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"Ready?"

Jack caught the second gun River had tossed to him, checked the clip, cocked it, and holstered it. "Ready," he said to his Commander.

"River?"

River nodded, two guns strapped to her hips.

Rose drew her gun—the last thing she owned from her life in the other world—and checked it over. It was perfect. It always was. But she would take no chances. Not this time. This mission was far too important. She looked up at her team. Jack donned his signature coat, his good luck charm he had called it, and nodded once. River stood by his side, fierce determination in her eyes. Rose returned Jack's nod, satisfied. Three against who knew? Very good odds. "Infiltrate. Save Amy. Protect Rory." That was her charge to the duo. Then, to herself, she commanded, "Cover the Doctor." She cocked her gun, holstered it, and led the way into battle.

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

Amy boldly defied the Silence, calling them out and daring them to keep her. She taunted their plans and laughed at their ambition, warning of the consequences that would soon fall. Her captors were not pleased nor were they intimidated. They simply studied her like a scientist studies a troublesome rat. Soon, her bravado grew tiresome. The leader leaned over her, its cavernous eyes boring into her. Amy jerked back and turned away, resisting its command to "Sleep now." She could feel it pushing against her mind. "No!" she cried. "No!"

A high wheezing filled the air. It came like a battle cry, drawing the enemy to defense. Amy's heart swelled with anticipation as that fabulous blue box materialized. She waited with baited breath for what would happen next. _He's here_! she thought. _He's finally here!_

The door swung open, revealing the barrel of a drawn gun. Commander Rose Tyler stepped out, her pistol aimed for the leader of the Silence; her target, the point right between its sunken eyes. Jack and River emerged behind her, each with weapons drawn. "Keep an eye on a Silence at all times," Rose instructed.

The trio of soldiers moved like an arrow piercing the enemy lines. Silence stepped back. Rose cut through the middle heading right for Amy. Jack and River flanked left and right. No one Silence was safe from their sight.

"Guns, really?" the Doctor said as he stepped out of the TARDIS. However, as he often did, he found himself swiftly distracted from the topic by something far more interesting. "Oh. Intriguing." He crossed the room, a medium sized television hanging from his hands, to inspect the purple-lit control consul in the middle of the room. "I've seen one of these before. Abandoned." He leaned back in thought. "Wonder how that happened. Oh well!" He swung around. "I suppose I'm about to find that out. Rose, why a gun?"

Rose did not look away from her target. The hostile energy crackled in the air around her as she stared down her prey. "Guns work on them," was her not-so-threatening reply. The lead Silence made to bare down on her, a tactic she saw coming and was ready for. Her smirk pulled higher and her gun pressed closer to its forehead. "Not this time," she whispered, a flash of gold alighting her eyes. The Silence stopped short, almost exuding a sense of fearful shock.

"Yes, yes, we established that," the Doctor said, missing the small exchange. "But you're being rude! Can't you see we're interrupting something." He waved his hand, spinning a bit as he did, indicating the gathering of Silence in the room. His eyes fell on his trapped companion and a smile burst to life on his face. "Oh, Amy! Hello! You alright?" He spun again before she could answer. "Rory! I found Amy!" He grinned at Rose. "See? Told you I could find her."

"Never doubted you for a second," Rose replied as Rory sprinted past her, his focus solely on his wife.

He grabbed the restraints, his mind working furiously on a way to breaking the foreign bonds.

Amy pushed against the bonds, aching for her husband's arms. "What's he got?" she asked, hoping the inquiry would distract her enough to allow him to work.

"Something," Rory muttered. "I think."

"Liar," the Doctor countered Rose's statement. "You didn't trust me one bit, sulking around the TARDIS, all angry at me. Made it quite difficult to work."

Rose resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm _not_ angry at _you_."

"Really?" The Doctor danced up to her side, the foppish air of disarmament fading into a brief serious moment. "What is it then?"

"Excuse me!" Amy snapped. "Is this important banter, 'cause I think I should be pretty high on the list right now!"

"Right!" The Doctor scuttled away, declaring, "Rose is being rude. Barging in here with guns raised." He paused, a thought striking him. "I should not like that, kind of do, though."

Rose could not stop the grin from crossing her lips or the barb from passing her lips. "Change much?"

The Doctor smirked back at her. "You would know." He hoisted the television onto the consul. "But, as I was saying, it is rude to burst in on aliens unannounced without a house warming present." He pulled the antennas up. "And!" he turned back, his dark eyes landing on the Silence. "It is even ruder to refuse a gift." He stepped forward. "That's right. Don't move. Because, look at me? I'm confident." He narrowed his eyes. "You ought to watch out for me when I'm confident."

The Silence stopped their attempted advance.

The Doctor grinned again and turned back to the television, saying as he went, "And if that's not enough, I'm sure River or Jack will kill at least half if not three-fourths, well, eleven sixteenths of you—"

"More than that," Jack reported.

"More than you," River sing-songed from the other side of the room.

"Doubt that," Jack said.

"Bring it on, sweetie."

"Oh, stop it!" the Doctor groaned.

"What?" Jack and River protested.

The Doctor sighed heavily, not seeing Rose smirk and shake her head. To any outside viewer watching this tense standoff, it would seem surprisingly light hearted. But to them, it was just like old times; a feeling Rose would cherish for its rarity and meaning.

"Can you lot not focus for one minute? I'm trying to watch the telley!" The Doctor turned the old black-and-white model on. The screen creased and crackled for a moment as the picture came into focus. "There we go. But, before we enjoy this momentous occasion—one that you helped orchestrate, might I add. Aren't you proud?" The Silence glared at him. He scowled back. "The Silence. You take that literally. I don't suppose you're gonna answer me, but, what the heck, I'll ask. Who's the girl? Why is she important? What's she for?"

"_Apollo 11 is making its final descent to the surface of the moon,"_ the news anchor reported from the television. Images from space came on the screen, documenting the moment for all of eternity.

"You guys are almost out of time. But, never fear, there is always time to hear your total surrender. Yes, you've been interfering in human history for thousands of years," he drawled as he paced the room, making sure to note each and every Silence. "Yes, people have suffered and died, but what's the point of having two hearts if you can't be a bit forgiving now and then, hm?"

The Silence showed their first signs of emotion. They were anxious. They began to shift, nervous, ready. Rose's instincts came to full alert. "Doctor," she warned.

"Oh, you got me," the Doctor lamented melodramatically. "I'm lying. I'm not really going to let you go that easily. Nice thought, but it's not Christmas." He completed his lap around the room and turned back to face the leader of the Silence. "A question for you. Do you know how many humans are watching these events live right now?" He walked forward as he talked. "Half a billion. And that's nothing, 'cause the human race will spread out amongst the stars, you just watch them fly! Billions of billions of them for billions and billions of years!" He stopped by the television. "And every single one of them will look back at this man, taking that very first step, and they will never, ever forget it." He pulled a communicator from his pocket. "Oh," he added as he raised it to his lips. "But they will forget this bit. Ready?"

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"Ready." Canton took Amy's phone and connected it to the communicator the Doctor had given him for just this very moment.

Once the phone connected to the device, a signal was sent to Apollo 11 and then relayed back into the live news feed.

Across the world, half a billion humans waited anxiously as Neal Armstrong stepped out of the space pod. "That's one small step for man," he said.

Then the screen cut out, replaced by a Silence. It grabbed the world in its hypnotic grip and ordered them to "…kill us all on sight!"

Humanity heard and obeyed.

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

The Doctor spun away from the television, no longer the jovial time traveler opting for peace; no, now he was the Oncoming Storm and he was about to crash upon the shores of the Silence. "You just gave the order for your own extermination, and the entire planet heard you!" he declared with triumph.

Neil Armstrong appeared again. _"…one giant leap for mankind."_

"And one WHOPPING kick up the backside for the Silence!" The Doctor was now standing behind Rose Tyler. His voice dropped into a deep threat as he said, "You just raised an army against yourself. And now, for a thousand generations, you're gonna be ordering them to destroy you every day. How fast can you run?" He circled around Rose; she stepped back but kept her gun raised, aiming over the Doctor's shoulder, a clear and present danger to the lead Silence. Her presence motivated him to rub their victory even further into their opponent's face. "Because today's the day the human race throws you off their planet. They won't even know they're doing it. I think quite possibly the word you're looking for is…oops." He stepped back. "Run."

The leader of the Silence was opening its black-hole-like maw. Electricity cracked through the air.

"Guys, I mean us," the Doctor clarified. "Run!"

All hell broke loose.

Jack and River opened fire. Rose grabbed the Doctor by the collar and hauled him behind her, firing as she moved. Rory pulled at Amy's bonds, desperate, determined, refusing to leave her. He was so stubborn! "Go!" Amy said.

"No!" he refused adamantly. He was a soldier. He would protect her. He would _save_ her!

"Look! Just get your stupid face out of here!"

Rory jerked up, his eyes wide. She had called him stupid face…

Rose drove the Silence back. "Doctor, go!" She pushed him forward. He stumbled over to Amy's side, his screwdriver fumbling into his hands. Setting 5647xb9 popped the latches. Amy fell into Rory's arms and held him close, drinking in the feeling of security only his embrace could give.

"Jack! River! Cover fire!" Rose ordered.

The duo ran parallel across the room, firing into the Silence, opening a clear path to the TARDIS.

"Go! Go! Go!" Rose yelled. Rory covered Amy, shielding her with his body as they ran to the safety of their glorious machine. Rose forced the Doctor to follow, turning and back peddling after him, keeping the three covered from every angle.

Laser and gun fire peppered the air. The consul sparked, blinding the high commander long enough for a Silence to rise up in assault. Rose looked up. She did not have time to react.

The Doctor reached out from the TARDIS, grabbed her shoulders, and pulled her in just as Jack swung around and fired. The Silence screeched as death took it. Rose hit the TARDIS floor with the Doctor's body over hers, shielding her.

Jack and River met in the middle of the lair, back to back, guns firing in unison. Silence after Silence hit the ground. Smoke, laser residue, and toxic death filled the air. The battle concluded in a crescendo of destruction and then, all was quiet.

They waited, the sounds of their heavy breathing echoing around them. River lowered her gun. "Fifteen," she panted.

Jack turned to face her. "Fifteen."

River smirked, sliding a little closer and tilting her head up in both defiance and enticement. "We tied."

"We did." He grinned.

A Silence lurched up behind River.

Two guns aimed.

One fired.

River cocked her eyebrow. "I had it."

Jack raised his smoking pistol to his lips and blew. "But I got it."

"Oh, Rassilion!" the Doctor grumbled from the TARDIS doorway. "Stop it!"

Jack and River exchanged a final smile. The ancient Captain bowed genteelly to the lady. River skipped ahead into the TARDIS. Jack took one final look around, and, when he was satisfied that their enemies had been sufficiently punished, he joined his team inside the TARDIS and disappeared into the night.

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

It was a beautiful day in Washington D.C.; a perfect day to celebrate the liberation of earth. All across the country, humanity celebrated. They didn't know why; they just felt the need to celebrate. America made it to the moon first, and they were free! Free from what, they would never know, but they did not care.

In the privacy of the Oval Office, President Nixon shook the Doctor's hand fervently, thanking him once more for his help. "You saved us all!" he said. "Thank you for keeping America and the world safe."

"Safe?" the Doctor balked. "No, no. You're not safe. There are hundreds of other nasty things flying about over your heads just waiting to descend on your defenseless world and wreck unimaginable havoc. But, if it helps you sleep at night, yes, you are safe."

Nixon paled at his words.

"Well, I must be off. Canton."

Canton took the Doctor's hand firmly in his. "Thank you, Doctor, for everything. You've changed my life."

"You changed your life," the Doctor said. "Now, see to it that it never changes back. And don't waste it."

Canton smiled and nodded, affirming that he wouldn't. He would never forget this wild adventure with the Doctor and his mad team of time travelers and their amazing blue box.

"Mr. President."

"Uh, Doctor," Nixon stepped up nervously, a question forming on his lips. But, before he could build the courage to speak it, Rose popped her head out of the TARDIS.

"We need to go now, Doctor."

"In such a hurry to leave?" the Doctor asked, glancing back at her with a raised brow. He did not mean the White House. She knew that. The Doctor swung back around. "Yes, can't keep this lot waiting. Goodbye, Canton. Mr. President." With that, he danced out of the room and out of their lives forever, flying away into his next big adventure.

"So," he said as he pulled a lever. "Where to first? Ah yes, River. I'm sure there's a guard or two searching for you."

"Never found me yet," she said with a grin.

"Indeed. But best not keep them waiting."

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

The trip to the prison took mere minutes. In that time, the small band lounged in companionable silence. It had been a trying few months, and the emotions were catching up to them. Rory and Amy sat on the stairs, her head on his shoulder and his arm around her waist. Jack waited with River by the door. And Rose stood at the consul with the Doctor.

"Might I ask," the Doctor whispered, not wanting to break the silence. "If you are not angry with me—"

Rose kept her eyes down, focused on the controls. "Does it need saying?" she asked.

"I think I earned the right to know," was his reply.

Rose hated that he was right. She looked over at Rory and Amy. The young centurion was whispering something into her ear, causing her to giggle and reward him with a kiss. "It's this," she confessed. "All of this. They did not deserve it." She looked back at the controls. "None of us did, really."

"Deserve what?" the Doctor probed; though, a pang in his hearts told him he already knew.

For a moment, Rose debated saying it aloud. She had told Rory. He needed to know; he needed to be prepared. But to tell the Doctor? She was uncertain. Then, his words drifted back to her, his plea for her to trust him again, and her resolve faltered. Looking up into the central column of the TARDIS, she said, "Punishment." She let her confession rest for a moment, allowing him to draw his conclusion before she explained. "You once told me to never say "never ever". You saw it coming before I did; now that I'm back, I see it all too clearly." She was once again watching the young lovers. "Anyone who stands up against the darkness of the universe is punished." She turned to the Doctor, the coldness and anger draining from her eyes with each word of her confession. "I didn't want to see it happen to them."

The TARDIS landed with a jolt, cutting off their conversation.

"Well," River said, pushing off the wall. "This is my stop."

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"So," Jack said, looking over the cell with a critical eye. "Prison."

"Yes," River said, her fingers wrapping around the bars of the open cell door.

"Cozy."

River laughed. "Yes, it is."

Jack looked down at his feet, feeling strangely uncomfortable. It had been a long time since he found himself in a moment like this. Somewhere along the centuries, he had come to a conclusion, one that cooled the fires that drove him to embrace any creature that would have him. He had travelled and defended the universe, seen civilizations rise and fall, and watched creatures great and small, all better than him, die for no reason. Suddenly, spending his time jumping from bed to bed seemed such a waste. It was funny, in retrospect, how libertine his younger self had been; if that Jack saw him now…he shook his head. He needed to do this and quickly. "River."

"Jack."

He looked into her eyes and the words stuck in his throat. He _needed_ to do this. "I'm old," he blurted out. "Over five hundred years. I've lost so many, I can't even count. This…" He moved his hands between them, searching for the right words. "This connection, it—"

Her lips burned against his, cutting him off, drowning out his protests, and searing her presence deeply upon his heart. His hands found their way into her hair, pulling her close and drinking her in.

It felt an eternity before they separated. His head was spinning as he leaned his forehead against hers, not wanting to leave.

She stroked his face, her eyes closed against the tears that always came whenever she had to bid him goodbye. "We will meet again," she promised. "And when we do, oh! Just you wait. We're going to run."

**THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE! THIS IS A BREAK IN THE SCENE!**

"What is Jack doing?" Rory watched the door impatiently.

"Don't ask," Rose said.

Amy walked up to the Doctor, a gentle smile on her face. "Hey," she greeted.

"Hello." The Doctor leaned back against the consul, taking her in, Rose's words dancing in his mind. "You're ok?" he asked. He needed to know she was ok.

"Fine," she promised, leaning next to him and crossing her arms. "Heads a bit weird. Can't really remember everything."

"After effect of the Silence, but that's not what I meant. Why did you tell me you were pregnant?"

"Because I thought I was," Amy said, absently rubbing her abdomen.

"Yes, but why me? Why not him?" He nodded toward Rory, who was talking with Rose about something important by the looks of it.

Amy followed his eyes. "I was afraid," she admitted, turning back to him, her dearest friend and confidant. "I've travelled with you in the TARDIS for so long. What if it had an effect? I didn't want to tell Rory that his baby might have three heads or a time head or something!"

"A time head?" the Doctor laughed. "What's a time head?"

"I don't know!" Amy protested. "But what if it had one?"

"Time head." The Doctor grinned.

Amy smiled. "Oiy, stupid!"

Rory jerked. Rose smiled. They had been caught. The high commander walked away, acting innocent, leaving Rory to face his wife. Amy propped her hand on her hip. "If you're gonna keep ease dropping, I'm going to take that thing away."

Rory looked sheepishly at the nano recorder, sighed, and pocketed it before squaring his shoulders. "You should have told me," he said, joining her. "I'm a nurse. I'm good with pregnancies."

"Apparently not," Amy challenged. Then, she smiled and hugged him. "Stop being so stupid."

"Never," Rory said, picking her up and spinning her around. "I will never stop being stupid." He lowered her down and captured her lips in a kiss.

Jack strode through the door then, looking like the cat that ate the canary. Rose's eyebrows rose in surprise. She had not seen that grin or that swagger in a very long time. "Things go well, then?" she asked.

"Oh yes," Jack drawled. He gave her a mock salute and proceeded to jaunt up the stairs into the corridors beyond.

Rose shook her head, a smile on her face. She was happy for him.

Rory was whispering in Amy's ear again. The ginger girl giggled and nodded, pulling out of his arms to take his hand. "If you'll excuse us," Rory said before he and his wife jogged from the room, their delight echoing off the walls with each excited step.

It was just them, now, standing opposite each other, so many things unsaid, so many questions left unanswered, and yet, neither of them wanted to speak. Neither of them wanted to break. So, the Doctor began to tinker with the levers, and Rose read some read outs, and the silence drifted on.

"So," the Doctor finally spoke. "All of time and space at our fingertips. Where to?"

"My room," Rose said. She stretched her arms over her head for emphasis. "It's been a long few months. I think I'll freshen up before the next mission."

"Next mission?" he asked, watching her as she walked to the stairs, a bit of dread simmering in his hearts. "Are you…are you leaving?"

"No," Rose said, meeting his eyes. "We kicked the Silence off of earth, meaning they are now scattered across the stars. I don't know about you, but I'm not too thrilled about the prospect of running into them on, say, Raxacoricofallapatorous."

"But you held your own against them back there," the Doctor reminded her, his voice barely masking his resignation.

"The TARDIS protected me," Rose said. "And, with your permission, I'll let her continue to do so." She started up the stairs. "At least until I learn to control this new psychic whatever it is. Good night, Doctor."

"Good night," he said absently. "Rose?"

She stopped at the top of the stairs.

The Doctor looked up from the consul. "What was the last thing I said to you on Bad Wolf Bay?"

A flash of shock passed through her eyes. "Doctor—"

"Please," he cut in. "A straight answer. After three months, I at least deserve that much."

She scowled, irritation dictating her posture. She straightened her shoulders, disappearing behind the facade of Commander Tyler. For a moment, the Doctor feared she would not answer. Then, she spoke, her tone clipped. "You said "Rose Tyler." "

He had. Both times. "Which time?"

Rose quirked a curious eyebrow. "The only time." Her tolerance was spent. She turned on her heel and exited the control room, never seeing the pained look enter the Doctor's eyes nor the slouch of his body as the truth became all too clear.

"We're not leaving, then." Jack was leaning against the corner of the first junction, his arms crossed and a pleased 'I told you so' kind of grin on his face.

Rose looked at him, stern and ready. Her eyes were hard with determination as she said, "The mission isn't over."

**AN:** No, it is not. To all my readers, I advise you to put me on author's alert, least you miss when our team "Goes to War." There are two more installments in the works for the "Unwritten" universe. I promised you I would explain Rose Tyler _if_ you agreed to come on this journey with me. The journey is far from over. Are you ready? Allons-y!


End file.
